Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?
by RaeRurounifan
Summary: Tamaki is worried when Haruhi is late. When Ayanokoji appears with a note that has Tamaki's name written in blood, he becomes scared. When the twins tell him Haruhi's missing, he is terrified. What's happened to her? Can the hosts figure out the clues?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Here is a new story I'm trying out. I couldn't get the idea out of my head, and I blame it on a combination of too much Harry Potter fanfiction and realizing how interesting names can be. This is a mystery, quite obviously, so I hope I'll do my idea justice. You'll have to let me know what you think after you read it. _

_On a side note, I made up a first name for Ayanokoji, who, if you'll remember, was the girl that was kicked out of the host club after she tried to sabotage Haruhi's first few days in the club by tossing her things in the fountain. That's just a reminder of who she is because she's probably going to be a pretty big player in this story...if I think it will be interesting enough. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only! Thanks! _

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

In her last year at Ouran Academy, Fujioka Haruhi was feeling more and more exhausted. She had decided to apply for scholarships at Tokyo University, where she had already been accepted as a student, but the scholarship applications were decidedly more difficult for the former host.

During lunches, Haruhi took her bento to the nearly deserted Third Music Room. The only people who ever went there anymore were herself and the twins. After the older group had graduated, the club disintegrated but not before their secret was discovered.

Sitting in her customary chair at the table, Haruhi pulled absently at the sleeve of her yellow dress. The uniform was something she'd had to get used to, but in light of the circumstances, she thought it was one of the easier things she'd endured. Her eyes were tired from nights of studying for her exams in the advanced classes she was taking. Staying on top of the food chain meant keeping her scores at the top of every class, and Haruhi was determined to do just that.

The door to the room was cracked as she always left it. After being abandoned by the hosts, the room had become dull and musty from disuse, and Haruhi wanted to allow the air to circulate, at least when she was there.

Pulling a book out of her bag, she didn't notice movement by the wall. Haruhi sighed as she opened the book to the last place she'd been reading and took out her pen to make notes on the advanced trigonometry. While she was good at all subjects, it seemed boring to her at times to do all this just to stay at the top of the class. Putting a pair of headphones over her head, she switched on her CD player, a gift from Tamaki.

Haruhi hummed as she looked through the textbook. It was interesting to see how the equations pulled together to make sense, and she enjoyed taking notes. It was one of her better skills. She focused fully on her work, not noticing that the door to the back room had been opened.

A comical design in the book, courtesy of a former student, she was sure, had her smiling whimsically. It reminded her of Tamaki, and she thought about her plans to visit him tonight. She shifted in her seat and sighed.

Before she could return to her studying, however, a searing pain to the back of her head left her on the floor of the Third Music Room. Struggling to figure out what had happened, she reached to the back of her head, bringing her hand away covered in a red substance, her blood, she realized dumbly. Suddenly a hand holding a cloth wrapped its fingers around her mouth and nose, and Haruhi panicked.

She jerked from the hold only to realize there was another weight on her body. Feeling lightheaded, she fought to stay awake, but it was to no avail. Slowly the world faded from her eyes until she dropped her head back to the carpeted floor with a dull thud.

--

Later that afternoon, Suou Tamaki paced the sitting room of the second Suou mansion. He didn't know what was bugging him, but when Haruhi arrived, he knew he would feel immediately better. He looked at the clock for the tenth time. 4 p.m. She was supposed to be there at 3:30, but since she was sometimes late, Tamaki knew he shouldn't worry.

He sat in the chair by the fireplace to wait for his girlfriend. They had started dating in his third year of high school. After he had jumped out of the car to rescue Haruhi, Tamaki could no longer deny that he felt something more than just fatherly love for her.

Haruhi had been completely shocked by him. Nothing prepared her to see Tamaki in such a new and decidedly romantic way. He had chosen her over his mother, and knowing how much he missed that woman, Haruhi had been touched beyond belief.

The two struggled with their already formed relationship, especially the strange fragility of Tamaki's fabricated familial ties to everyone in the host club. For a while it seemed that Tamaki would ignore his own heart and try to salvage the ties he'd created, and Haruhi, for her part, had been more than perplexed when the boy who had started to woo her suddenly went cold, falling back on their old titles of father and daughter.

It wasn't until the Hunny and Mori intervened that the problem became apparent. The twins were extremely jealous of Tamaki and didn't want him to take "their" Haruhi away. It had come down to threats and angry glares in the host room; that was when Haruhi discovered just how deeply the hosts felt about her.

When Kaoru was finally convinced that Haruhi truly did like Tamaki and not just as a friend, he'd reluctantly admitted defeat. It wasn't that he didn't love Haruhi; he did, but seeing her smile so beautifully at his friend reminded the host that he had already planned on giving her up...to his brother. Realizing he was the only one who could calm Hikaru, the twin who never seemed to understand his own heart, Kaoru had slowly helped Hikaru to understand what he himself had only recently realized: Tamaki and Haruhi truly liked one another.

With that, it was only a matter of time before the twins began harassing Tamaki again, this time with threats of bodily harm if he didn't end Haruhi's confusion soon. Kyouya, too, seemed more inclined to force Tamaki into wooing his "beautiful flower" than in increasing his stock in various companies. Both Hunny and Mori, who had graduated that spring, also encouraged the host club king to pursue the hostess.

Finally after seemingly endless arguments about the host club family, Tamaki had been convinced. He turned his full attention to achieving Haruhi's affections, something he didn't realize he already had, and by the beginning of the school year, the two were dating.

Hearing the clock strike the half hour, Tamaki stirred from his daydreaming. Frowning once he realized his girlfriend had not arrived, the former host stood and began pacing once again. The door opening had him turning, a smile on his lips, only for it to die when his butler entered the room, pulling it closed behind him.

"Tamaki-sama," the man intoned, bowing slightly before his master, "you have a visitor."

Violet eyes narrowed in concentration. It obviously wasn't any of his friends; they would have simply walked into the room, not needing an introduction. Wondering if this had anything to do with Haruhi and growing worried by that thought, Tamaki indicated his visitor could enter.

The butler turned and exited the room, leaving the door opened. "This way please," his soft voice echoed through the quiet house, and Tamaki heard two sets of footsteps on the polished marble floor.

Pushing the door open a bit more, the butler indicated with a hand that the visitor could enter. Tamaki stood next to the fireplace, looking straight at her as she entered the room.

"Ayanokoji-hime?" His shock at her sudden appearance caused him to add the honorific without thinking. Seeing her wait at the doorway, Tamaki's manners returned to him, and he said, "Please have a seat. The maid will bring us some tea in a moment." The butler's footsteps could be heard as he went to place the unspoken order.

Tamaki watched as Ayanokuji Hideyo made her way into the room. The girl was clutching something to her chest, but he couldn't see what it was. She looked awful, he mused, wondering if something had happened.

Her normally lustrous skin was pale, very pale indeed, and her eyes looked troubled. Her hands, holding the...paper, he assumed, were shaking, causing it to rustle slightly. She sat on the edge of the couch as he took a seat in his chair once more.

Remembering her tenure in the host club and how she ha been evicted, Tamaki felt pity wash over him. The rest of the girls, mostly his patrons, had virtually ignored her for the rest of the year. It was a horrible way to end high school, but the rest of the hosts had convinced Tamaki that she'd brought it on herself.

After she'd graduated, no one heard from her. It was a surprise, really, because everyone knew that Ouran Academy prepared students well for their formulaic lives. Graduates would go off to school, girls merely for the looks and prestige of attending upper class universities, boys to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to take their places, whether those be in succeeding their fathers as heads of businesses or working secondary to older brothers. There were arranged marriages and family lives to plan for the girls, who generally knew from an early age to whom they were betrothed, and boys were groomed to become the business leaders of their days while acting the part of devoted and doting husband and father.

No one deviated from this pattern, and that was what surprised so many people. It seemed that Ayanokoji simply took her diploma and disappeared off the face of the earth. And while it was common for students to take a year off to travel, even news of her travels, had she traveled, never made it back to the vaguely interested ex-friends and acquaintances of the girl.

That was why Tamaki couldn't understand what she was doing in his sitting room at 4:45 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon. She wasn't even supposed to be in Japan, let alone Tokyo, and she certainly wouldn't come to visit him if she was in town. Looking at her, he left his eyes narrow a bit. Something was definitely wrong.

A timid maid walked in, carrying a large tray filled with tea, cups and small snacks. After setting it on the table and pouring the tea, she quickly exited the room. Tamaki picked up a teacup and offered it to the still pale girl. She took it, setting the paper face down in her lap but not before Tamaki saw a flash of red on the other side of the note.

"Ayanokoji-san," he said, easing into the more formal title, "I am honored to have you visit, especially after your long absence from our social circles, but I must admit my surprise to see you. Are you doing well?" He took a sip of his tea; it never hurt to be polite, he always said.

Ayanokoji looked up at the man she'd used to designate in the host club. She would never have sought him out, but this was too disturbing for her to ignore, even if she wasn't sure of the source. Her hand trembled as she lifted the cup to her lips; before she could take a sip, a little bit of the tea sloshed out of the cup, startling her.

She sat the cup down on the table and took a deep breath before saying, "Suou-san, there's something I think you should know. Otherwise I wouldn't be here today."

Tamaki felt the tension in his body increase, and he tried to calm himself by offering a lighter topic up for discussion. "Please, Ayanokoji-san, call me Tamaki. I do not wish for such formalities between old classmates."

She considered it for a moment and then replied, "All right, Tamaki-san." She wouldn't give in completely. "But you must also call me Hideyo." He nodded in response.

Ayanokuji looked at the paper in her lap and finally opened her mouth again. "I know I've been gone for a long time...since graduation," she said, "but there were reasons for my absence." Tamaki looked puzzled but said nothing. "I've been back home for only a few days now, so it's surprising they would know to deliver this to me there, especially since I've kept my travels quiet."

Tamaki was confused. It seemed like she'd just come to talk, but the note now back in her trembling hands was obviously important, and most likely the reason she'd come. How could he convince her to just tell him what was going on?

"I don't know what's happened, Tamaki-san," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "I just know it's something bad." Her voice cracked a little. She stood up and walked over to him, note held out, saying, "Here. This was delivered to my house a little over an hour ago. I don't know why it was delivered to me, but when I saw it I had to bring it over here as fast as possible. Perhaps you'll know what it means."

He took the paper from her hands only then realizing it was folded over with a flap taped down to keep it from opening. The tape had been sliced through with a knife, most likely to try to figure out what was going on, but that wasn't what caught his attention.

On the front of the envelop in bright red letters was his name. It was only his first name, and that surprised him, but he gasped outright when he realized the red ink was actually blood.

His eyes flew to the woman who was seated again, wringing her hands. He pinned her to the couch with a dark gaze as he demanded, "What is this? What's going on?"

"Read the letter," was all she could reply. "Maybe you'll make more sense of it than I did."

Pulling the flap open, he unfolded the piece of paper. It was just a blank sheet of paper, perhaps printer paper, with words printed in black block letters. He stared for a minute and then rubbed his eyes, wondering if he'd suddenly lost the ability to read. The note was short, but everything about it confused him. He read it again.

_Tahw era ruoy smeard, uous? Tahw stnuah ruoy seramthgin? Tahw sah neeb ruoy tsetaerg erised?_

_Spahrep uoy tnod ezilaer eht noitautis uoy era won ni. Uoy evah neeb nevig a eciohc. Neves seulc, uous. Staht lla. Neves seulc ot dnif ruoy suoicerp ihurah. _

_Yeht lliw evirra ni ecneuqes. Uoy evah neves seulc dna ylno detimil emit ot erugif tuo erehw ehs si. Fi uoy liaf ot od os, uoy lliw reven ees reh niaga. Liaf ot od os, dna uoy lliw dnif ruoy secnatsmucric gnignahc._

_Eht kcolc si gnikcit. Di eb luferac fo esoht dlo setamssalc fo sruoy, tu neht niaga, lluoy deen eht pleh._

"What is this?" He was more confused than he'd ever been in his life. Even after having taken various foreign languages, Tamaki couldn't begin to translate the note with his name on it. And seeing the blood had shocked and scared him more than he'd wanted to admit.

"I don't know," Ayanokoji now said, looking worried. "I was hoping it would mean something to you. You do realize that's blood on the front, don't you?" He nodded. "This is serious, Tamaki-san. We need to do something."

He stopped staring at the note to look at her in surprise. "You want to help me?"

She gained a determined gleam in her eyes when she said, "This note was delivered to me for a reason. I don't know what's going on, but I want to help figure it out."

Before he could consider her words, Tamaki felt his cell phone vibrating in his pockets. He pulled it out, and noting the caller, answered in the hopes that the person would have good news.

"Where is she, Milord?" The twin voices of Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru startled him as they immediately yelled their question. "She didn't come back to class after lunch! Did you 'borrow' again, Milord?"

Tamaki's stomach sank into the soles of his shoes when he heard this. The fear was back, and he knew instinctively that something had indeed happened to Haruhi.

"Hikaru, Kaoru," he said in a no-nonsense tone they'd always obeyed in the host club, "I need you to come to my home immediately." The king was ready to rally the troops, and he needed all the help he could get.

"Milord," Kaoru began, sounding unsure of himself, "what's going on?"

"Are you coming?" Tamaki cut the twin off rudely, his mind already on where Haruhi could be and if Ranka knew of the situation.

"Yes, but..."

Tamaki focused in on the conversation and quickly interrupted him. "Listen, something's wrong, and I think Haruhi's involved. I'm going to call Kyouya. You two get Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai to come over as soon as possible." With that, he hung up the phone and immediately dialed his best friend.

"Hello, Tamaki," Kyouya greeted when he answered the phone. "What can I do for you now?" He was used to his demanding friend calling in need of something or other, and this response was habit.

"Kyouya, something's happened to Haruhi," Tamaki said seriously. He was struggling not to panic, but this new development was bothering him immensely. He glanced over to find Ayanokoji watching him with serious brown eyes as she once more wrung her hands together. "I need you to come over to the house immediately."

"Calm down, Tamaki," was the rational reply of his never dramatic friend. "I'm sure you're overreacting. Now, what's going on?"

Tamaki flapped his hands exasperatedly until he realized his friend could not see him and then said, "Kyouya, I've got a note with my name on it in some foreign language, and it's written in blood, and Haruhi missed lunch, and she isn't here yet, and I don't know what's going on..."

Kyouya interrupted his friend, knowing the tirade would go on if he didn't stop it. "Stop, Tamaki. Did you say you received a note written in blood?" His friend gave a vaguely affirmative answer before Kyouya continued, "I'll be there shortly."

"What's happened to Fujioka-san?" Ayanokoji timidly asked from her place on the couch after Tamaki hung up the phone.

He stopped mid-pace and looked, once more, at the girl who had hated his girlfriend. "I don't know," he finally said. "But something's wrong. She was supposed to be here at 3:30, and the twins said she never came back from lunch." With that, he plopped back down into his chair, clutching the note in his hands.

The two waited thirty minutes in silence, Ayanokoji staring distractedly into the ashes of the fireplace. She had gone paler when he mentioned Haruhi's absence, and now she was twisting the material of the red dress she wore in her hands. Tamaki was staring at the note unseeingly. He had no clue how to interpret the lines on the note and was growing more and more frantic by the minute.

"Tamaki, we just got here with Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai," Hikaru called as he rushed into the room, followed closely by his twin and their friends. "What's going on? You sounded so upset, Milord."

"What is she doing here?" The incredulous voice of Kaoru caused the other three to take notice of Ayanokoji, now sitting as calmly as she could. His voice was like ice, and the group realized the girl who had insulted Haruhi was in the room.

"She's here because of this," Tamaki announced, moving to stand next to the couch. He held out the note, and Hunny reached out to take it from him.

The four moved over to the table and began to read.

"What does it mean, Tama-chan?" Hunny was the first to ask.

"We don't know," he replied tiredly. "But my name is written in blood on the front, and we know Haruhi is missing. I'm really worried."

"Haru-chan is missing?" Hunny's voice became nervous and high-pitched.

"You still didn't explain what she's doing here, Milord," Kaoru reminded the former host.

Ayanokoji now stood and, placing her hand on Tamaki's arm when he would have spoken, answered, "I'm here because that letter was delivered to my house this afternoon. I couldn't figure it out, but I knew there was something wrong for Tamaki's name to be written in blood. I brought it over as quickly as I could because I hoped he'd know what it meant."

Just then Kyouya came into the room. He looked disturbed, but no one knew why.

"Kyouya, mon ami!" Tamaki ran over to his friend and embraced him lightly. Kyouya returned the embrace only slightly, knowing his friend needed reassurance. Then he moved more fully into the room, noting Ayanokoji's presence with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

"I called Ranka-san," he said casually to the group. The hosts focused on the glasses-wearing young man expectantly, while Ayanokoji looked confused at the name. "He said he hadn't heard from Haruhi today, but he was at work. So he doesn't know what's going on either."

Tamaki looked frustrated at that and stomped over to the table, picking up the discarded letter. "Here," he said, nearly shoving the thing in his friends hands. "Can you read it? Do you know what language that is?"

Kyouya ignored his friend and examined the letter. He looked at the outside and noted the blood writing and cut tape. Turning it over, he began to read the printed letters. The group waited in silence as he began to study it harder, not really reading but looking at each word carefully, as if he could see a hidden meaning in the words.

He walked over to the table, pulling out his black notebook as he went. "What is Ayanokoji-san doing here?" He asked rather coldly as he sat down and opened the notebook. He extracted a pen and began to transcribe the note.

"She said this note was delivered to her home," Hikaru said loudly, looking a little more ferociously at the girl who was still trembling slightly on the couch. "When she couldn't read the note, she said she came over here because the blood scared her."

Kyouya made a small noise at the back of his throat and continued working on the letter. By now he had rewritten the entire thing and had discarded the original. He was jotting down letters and tapping his fingers on the table alternatively. The group settled down to watch in silence.

A maid entered with tea fifteen minutes later. Leaving the teapot and cups on the table, she quickly made her exit.

The hosts poured tea for themselves, and Tamaki offered Ayanokoji another cup of tea, which she graciously refused before Kyouya stood up and began pacing. The young man was holding his notebook in front of him and walking in front of the fireplace. The group continued to watch him until he suddenly stopped and looked up in surprise.

Marching back to the table, Kyouya began writing furiously. Tamaki was growing anxious at this point; his friend was obviously onto something, but he didn't want to intrude until Kyouya had something to tell them. When he finished writing, he reread what he'd just written, and then they watched as Kyouya looked up and surveyed the room, his gaze lingering on Ayanokoji a little longer than was comfortable for the young woman.

Standing he went to Tamaki and handed him the notebook. "Read that," was all he said.

Slowly Tamaki read the note, his face becoming quite pale as he did so. By the time he was finished, the former host club president looked like a ghost. He quickly handed the notebook to the twins. The group passed the notebook around the room, not saying anything, but becoming noticeably more agitated. Ayanokoji was the last to read the translated note.

_What are your dreams, Suou? What haunts your nightmares? What has been your greatest desire?_

_Perhaps you don't realize the situation you are now in. You have been given a choice. Seven clues, Suou. That's all. Seven clues to find your precious Haruhi._

_They will arrive in sequence. You have seven clues and only limited time to figure out where she is. If you fail to do so, you will never see her again. Fail to do so, and you will find your circumstances changing._

_The clock is ticking. I'd be careful of those old classmates of yours, but then again, you'll need the help._

Looking up from the note, Ayanokoji saw six gazes leveled at her, and she gulped, paling even more, if that was possible.

...

_A/N: The thing about this story is that I'm thriving on this idea of mystery for every part, including the names involved and the clues that will be given out. Ah, and since I know it's a curiosity, do think about the title of the story, won't you? I realize it sounds like jibberish, but so did Tamaki's note, and Kyouya figured that out. Speaking of, did any of you figure out the secret behind that note? Did you figure out what it said before Kyouya? _

_Please let me know if this story seems at all interesting to you. I know some of you will be turned off because it's a TamaHaru story, but I hope that doesn't keep you from reading because this will definitely not be all romance. In fact, I doubt I'll put that much romance in; there will probably be a lot of angst and worry and obviously mystery to keep our hosts confused. Let me know what you think of the first chapter and if I should keep going with the story, and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! _

_-Rae-_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow! I wanted to thank everyone that reviewed my first chapter of this story! I was beyond surprised because it's the most reviews I've seen for a single chapter of my work, so thank you guys! Now, I want to mention that this chapter was beyond difficult to write, and that's probably my fault for making it harder; however, I persevered because I wanted to get it out for you all. I'm so glad to hear that the intrigue has gone over well! _

_And, here's kind of my subtitle for this chapter: 'And then there were seven...' You can take that how you like it, but you'll see what I mean, and I hope you like this little, or should I say big?, twist! _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only! Thanks! _

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**Chapter Two**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

Haruhi jerked awake suddenly. Something had woken her, but what was it? She took in her surroundings through touch as she realized she couldn't open her eyes. Well, she could, but there was a cloth or something over her eyes that she couldn't see through. All she could see was a bit of light shining through the cloth; obviously it wasn't a black cloth.

She tried to move her hands only to find them secured to...armrests? It took her a moment to remember what had happened; the last thing she remembered was being in the Third Music Room studying. Now she was sitting in a chair of some sort. It was a little cushioned, though not comfortably so, and she was reclined slightly.

Her wrists, it seemed, were bound with soft fabric ties. Perhaps they were ribbon, Haruhi couldn't quite tell. Her head was throbbing, and she wanted to sit up badly; she tried to swallow, but her throat was parched and dry. Whoever had done this was thorough as she was secured in her seat.

Then it hit her. She couldn't hear anything. Was she alone? No, wait, she realized, there was a sound in the background that she'd been ignoring. It was a gentle, humming noise, and it was a good deal louder than she'd originally realized. What could make that mechanized noise, she wondered, trying to ignore the painful headache that tempted her to sleep.

Her heart leapt in her throat as she felt a strange sensation. It was like being in an elevator but different. She felt wherever it was that she was anchored move, well, rather more like jolting, upwards, but that wasn't possible, was it? Could she be moving somewhere? That would explain the noise then, Haruhi realized dimly; it was an engine.

It seemed her headache was winning out, and as she drifted back into a troubled sleep, she barely registered the sweet-smelling cloth that was pressed briefly to her nose and mouth.

--

Ayanokoji stared back at the young men seated around her, shaking with fear. Something in their glances, in the way they held themselves, told her she was about to be in trouble. Nothing had prepared her for the reality of the situation with Haruhi; in fact, she hadn't even realized the situation was about the blasted host until Kyouya translated the note.

The group was staring at her, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would hold her if they thought she knew anything. She realized with a bit of ironic relief that she honestly didn't know anything about this. To think that Fujioka had been kidnapped out of Ouran Academy was ridiculous, but it seemed that was what had happened.

Hideyo had never really been a mean spirited girl, but something about Fujioka didn't sit well with her. She wasn't able to put her finger on it until she'd heard through the grapevine that Haruhi was, in fact, female. That was why she'd felt such unnatural jealousy toward the "natural type" host. But she'd never wanted anything truly bad to happen to her; in fact, Hideyo didn't really have the nerve to do anything cruel and hurtful besides spiteful things like throwing Haruhi's bag and books in the school fountain.

That was why she was truly afraid now in the presence of the hosts. She wondered bleakly if she should try explaining why she'd come back, but they probably wouldn't believe her story. She couldn't tell them that she'd been away for the last few years because she wanted to protect...well, that was a stupid thing to even consider confessing. Hideyo was stronger than that, and she could manage her fear well enough.

Pulling herself together, Ayanokoji Hideyo looked at the man who'd translated the letter and decided to break the eerie silence. "What do you think it means, Ootori-san?" If anything, Hideyo was still a well-mannered, rich heiress, and manners demanded this courtesy afforded to the man who now glared daggers at her.

"I'm afraid I don't really know, Ayanokoji-san," he replied casually enough, studying her with intense interest. "I was wondering if you might know something about this."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you there," she replied, barely calming the flutters in her stomach. "I can only tell you that the letter arrived at my home shortly after I got back this afternoon."

Hikaru now spoke up, looking nonplussed at this information, "But why on earth would someone send that to you? It's addressed to Milord for crying out loud!"

"And," Kaoru said, "it's a well-known fact that you were banned from the host club. It's not like someone would think you were our friend. I don't understand this."

Hunny quickly interrupted, "I don't know what the last lines meant, Kyou-chan. Do they make any sense to you?"

The group halted on that note, looking at the former vice president of the host club. "Well," he began slowly, "let's look at this logically. We'll examine the note and see what it really tells us."

With that said, he gestured to everyone to gather round the table. They did so, taking seats, even as Tamaki pulled out a chair for Hideyo, who smiled gratefully. Once everyone was settled, Kyouya began to speak as he jotted down notes in his notebook.

"First, let's look at the obvious," he said. "This note was addressed to Tamaki by his first name. That implies that the person either knows Tamaki well enough to use his first name or that the person doesn't care for social mores." He scratched something onto the paper.

Picking up the note, he explained, "The name was written in blood, whose, we don't know, but I'd be willing to make some guesses on that." The twins looked worriedly at one another. "I'll have this taken to the lab to do extensive tests on the blood and the writing. Now," he continued, pointing out the tape, "obviously someone didn't bother to get an envelope and decided to fold the paper, attaching it with tape. That could mean this was done in haste, but I'm not sure."

Finally he opened the note and began to look at the writing. "It's written in black ink, but it looks to be written by someone trying to conceal his handwriting. And, interestingly enough, it's written backwards." He said this and put the note on the table for the group to read; as they looked at the words, they realized that Kyouya was correct.

"My first guess would be that it's written backwards to take up valuable time that we could spend looking for Haruhi," he added when they turned back to him.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tamaki was instantly on his feet, ready to go save his darling Haruhi. "We need to get out there and find her immediately! Hitachiins..." He never got past the beginning of his order before Kyouya interrupted him once more.

"I'm afraid it's too little, too late, Tamaki," he said as gently as the shadow king could. Tamaki looked at him, at first angrily and then with an expression of extreme distress as Kyouya explained. "The fact that the twins haven't seen Haruhi since lunch means she was probably taken then. Whoever planned this knew we would immediately start searching for her if it was obvious that she was gone. It seems they knew the twins would automatically think Haruhi was with you and not raise the alarm until after school."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked abashed with the implications of that statement. They had done just that; while Haruhi wasn't one who skipped classes, they both knew that Tamaki had been known to woo her into going out with him on occasion. They also suspected him of simply grabbing her and running on occasion, a thing they liked to call "borrowing Haruhi."

Tamaki looked stunned. "So, what do we do then?" His voice was quiet, suppressed but full of emotions that no one wanted to analyze just then.

Kyouya looked at his friend for a long moment before saying, "We continue to study the note and see what we can figure out. I think we'll probably get more information soon; they won't want us to go to the police with this."

Hideyo was surprised. "But surely you'll tell the police, won't you? I mean, this is serious! That blood...I mean..." she paused before she could finish her words. Taking a breath, she continued, "I just think this isn't something you can ignore."

"We're not ignoring it, Hideyo-san," Tamaki said fiercely. The others looked surprised that he called her by first name. "However, there isn't much we can do until we get more information."

"Besides," Kyouya now said, "the police won't accept a missing persons report until the person has been missing for 48 hours. By then, I'm sure we'll have at least some information."

Hikaru looked at his twin, who nodded at him. "Kyouya?" He asked uncertainly; the boy nodded at him in acknowledgement. "What else can we figure out from the note? Do you think Haruhi is okay?"

"Well, first of all," he replied, "I think Haruhi is all right...for the moment. The person is obviously giving Tamaki a chance to rescue her, but I don't think it will be simple at all. There's something strange about the first paragraph, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"'What are your dreams?'" Kaoru quoted the note, scrunching up his nose in concentration. "'What are your nightmares?' Aren't those opposites?"

Hikaru looked at the note puzzled. "What do you mean, Kaoru?"

"Dreams and nightmares," Kaoru pointed out as if it was obvious. "Aren't those things opposites?"

"I think we need to skip the first paragraph," Hunny said seriously. "The rest of it seems more ominous to me. 'I'd be careful of those old classmates of yours, but then again, you'll need the help.' What do you think that means, Ayanokoji-san?" The short former host looked sagely up at the girl sitting at his left.

She looked at the young man, her former classmate, and felt her heart constricting as she felt the heat of his gaze. "I'm not sure, Haninozuka-san," Hideyo said softly, "but I've offered my help to Tamaki-san if he should need it. I feel like I've been brought into this now, too, and I can't just sit back and watch."

Hunny wasn't quite done yet. "Are you sure, Ayanokoji-san?" She nodded once, hands resting demurely on the table. "Why do you think the person who kidnapped Haruhi would send this note to your home?"

Kyouya took the opportunity to stab at an answer. "Actually, Hunny-senpai," he said, "it makes sense. Not only does Ayanokoji-san have no connections to us, she also has been out of town for the last few years. I think, like with the twins, the person knew she would be confused by the note and would take more time trying to figure things out than come straight to Tamaki with it."

"So you're saying that by trying to read and understand the note," Hideyo swallowed hard, "I might have inadvertently let the person get away with Fujioka-san?"

Kyouya nodded slightly. "I think that's what they wanted to happen. They have this well-planned, whatever it is," he said. "And while we wait for them to make the next move, Haruhi could be anywhere."

"Dang it!" The anguished yell caused the table's occupants to jump slightly. Tamaki stood up too fast, causing his chair to fall over. "Why is this happening? Where could she be?!" He paced in front of the fireplace angrily, taking his frustration out on the rug placed there. When that didn't help, he kicked the marble fireplace hard; the others watched in stunned fascination as the once charming host club king now hopped around on one foot, clutching his wounded foot in his hands.

"Tamaki-sama," the butler intoned from the doorway. "You have a few guests."

Tamaki limped to the fireplace where he placed a hand on the wall to steady himself. "Fine," he said emotionlessly, "let them in."

Before the butler could move, Suou Yuzuru and Fujioka Ryoji rushed into the room, stopping momentarily to stare at the group gathered there.

"Father?" Tamaki was surprised to see the man at the second Suou mansion. "What are you doing here?"

"Tamaki," Yuzuru said, desperately reaching for his son, "please tell me she's here. She's here, isn't she, Tamaki? Haruhi's here, right?" He couldn't seem to say anything else as he shook Tamaki's shoulders.

"No," Tamaki replied listlessly, allowing himself to hang in his father's grasp. "She's gone."

"Haruhi!" The words seemed wrenched from Ranka-san's throat as he stared unseeingly at the hosts. He pulled himself together and then nearly pounced on Kyouya. "Where is she? You always seem to know what's going on, Kyouya! Where is my Haruhi?!"

"Quiet!" The sharp voice of Mori caused instant silence to fall over the group. Everyone stared as the gentle giant stood from his seat. He walked to Ranka-san and led the man to an open seat, pushing him softly into the chair. Looking at Tamaki and Yuzuru, he indicated the vacant seats nearby, and the two quickly moved to the chairs.

"Now," Kyouya began, nodding gratefully as Mori resumed his seat, "let's discuss what's going on here. Ranka-san, you first."

Ryoji took a moment to compose himself before speaking. "I was on my way home when a boy stopped me in the street," he said while fiddling with something in his pocket. "He told me someone asked him to give me this." He pulled out a note and handed it to Kaoru, who was sitting to his right.

"'Ranka-san, it's wonderful to finally meet you.'" Kaoru read. "'I'd check on my precious daughter if I were you, Ranka. Wasn't she going to see that idiotic Tamaki today? But don't worry; I'm sure nothing will happen to her...yet.'"

"I didn't know what it meant, so I came here to find Haruhi," Ranka now said. He stopped speaking and looked down at the note Kaoru had returned to him.

"I found Fujioka-san on my way over here," Yuzuru now said. "He shared the note with me, and that worried me. However, what bothers me even more is what I received at the school this afternoon."

Yuzuru pulled out a similar looking note to the one Hideyo had received. Once again the note was addressed in blood, but it was addressed to Yuzuru and Tamaki this time. He pulled it open, revealing more foreign writing. The group leaned in closer to see what the note said.

_Suous, emag elttil, nuf a otni siht ekam ot dediced evi. Erus mi, ti yojne lluoy. Dneirflrig suoicerp sih fo stuobaerehw eht ot seulc neves eb lliw ereht, ikamat dlot ydaerla evi sa. Hctac eht saw noitnem tndid i tahw, revewoh. Selur eht tneserp em tel, oda rehtruf on htiw, os: _

_ Reverof ihurah esol ot tnaw uoy sselnu ecilop eht evlovni ton lliw uoy, tsrif. Seulc eht tuo erugif ot ytiliba ruoy fo sseldrager emit eud ni denruter eb lliw ohw snwap lla era yeht; srehto eht rof ecilop eht yb enod sehcreas eht erongi lliw uoy, dnoces. Tsil eht no eno tsrif eht htiw gninnigeb, redro eht ni nosrep hcae rof hcreas lliw uoy, driht. Lrig eht dnif ot deen uoy seulc eht lla evah lliw uoy, nosrep hcae dnif ot eganam od uoy fi, htruof. Ffo si emag eht dna, redro fo tuo enoemos dnif: gnitaehc yna wolla ton lliw i, htfif. _

_Elpoep rehto gnidnif noitnem i nehw naem i tahw gnirednow eruoy esoppus i, won. Suous, yllaer elpmis sti. Ihurah tsuj naht erom deppandik evi. Secalp suoirav ni neddih era elpoep neves. Rettel siht ni uoy rof meht deman neve evi. Tsil eht no nettirw era yeht redro eht ni neves eht dnif ot si boj ruoy. Dnuof era yeht ecno uoy ot tneserp ot eulc a nevig neeb sah nosrep hcae. Stuobaerehw sihurah ot seulc eht dnuof evuoy dna, neves lla dnif. On, nuf sdnuos?_

_Noititepmoc elttil ruo fo trap era ohw esoht fo seman eht tneserp won em tel: _

_Okanak Ikazagusak_

_Urot Amihsuzus_

_Orihs Ijoakat_

_Otihemu Awazoken_

_Adonasak Ustir_

_Okier Ikuzanak _

_Egner Ijukahsoh_

_Elpoep eseht etacol ot seulc eht woleb dnif esaelp. Redrah teg llyeht dna, ti ta yats tub, tsrif ta ysae era seulc eht: tnih siht uoy evig lli. Ihurah ot seulc eht dnif, lla meht dnif. Emit fo doirep a retfa desaeler eb llyeht dna, meht dnif tnod. Timil emit eht fo uoy mrofni lliw ehs, nas-ikazagusak dnif uoy ecno. _

_Suous, kcul doog! Nigeb semag eht tel dna!_

_P.S. Meht evoba esir ohw esoht fo teef eht ta llaf seidal elbon dna sngier yrettalf erehw, mrahc selims dna seliugeb cisum erehw, nageb lla ti ecalp eht ni nas-ikazagusak dnif lluoy. Dloc nommoc eht eusrup ot thguoht ylgniteelf taht stiawa esaesid citoxe eht. Tndid ehs dab oot._

Kyouya immediately snatched the note off the table, much to the surprise of Yuzuru and Ryoji. "I'll work on translating this," he said. He pulled the transcribed note out of his notebook and handed it to Tamaki. "You all tell Suou-san and Ranka-san about what's happened."

The group watched as he walked over to Tamaki's fireside chair where he plopped down and began transcribing yet another note. Tamaki, the twins and Hunny took to the task of explaining their fears about Haruhi and the letter Hideyo had received. She answered questions when asked, but overall the others took the lead in the story.

By the end of it, Yuzuru and Ranka were shocked. Ranka had slumped in his chair on realizing Haruhi had been kidnapped, and Yuzuru looked as if he wasn't sure what to expect next. Tamki was now sipping his third cup of tea that evening, and he looked up as the clock struck 6 p.m. Haruhi had been missing since noon, and he was very worried for her.

Kyouya took a little longer at translating the note this time, and the group was soon wondering if there was something different. It had seemed to be written in the same block letters with black ink, and they assumed it was done in the same fashion. The twins and the cousins had been exchanging glances for a while, all four curious at the amount of time it was taking their friend. Hideyo was nervously drinking her second cup of tea, but her hand shook on occasion as she considered what this could mean for Fujioka-san and the rest of the hosts.

Finally Kyouya returned to the table wearing a more troubled expression than before. He tossed the note down before handing the notebook to Tamaki, who was sitting next to his father. The two looked at it before Yuzuru picked it up to read aloud the letter addressed to himself and his son.

_I've decided to make this into a fun, little game, Suous. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure. As I've already told Tamaki, there will be seven clues to the whereabouts of his precious girlfriend. However, what I didn't mention was the catch. So, with no further ado, let me present the rules:_

_First, you will not involve the police unless you want to lose Haruhi forever. Second, you will ignore the searches done by the police for the others; they are all pawns who will be returned in due time regardless of your ability to figure out the clues. Third, you will search for each person in the correct order, beginning with the first one on the list. Fourth, if you do manage to find each person, you will have all the clues you need to find the girl. Fifth, I will not allow any cheating: find someone out of order, and the game is off._

_Now, I suppose you're wondering what I mean when I mention finding other people. It's simple really, Suous. I've kidnapped more than just Haruhi. Seven people are hidden in various places. I've even named them for you in this letter. Your job is to find the seven in the order they are written on the list. Each person has been given a clue to present to you once they are found. Find all seven, and you've found the clues to Haruhi's whereabouts. Sounds fun, no?_

_Let me now present the names of those who are part of our little competition:_

_Kasugazaki Kanako_

_Suzushima Toru_

_Takaoji Shiro_

_Nekozawa Umehito_

_Kasanoda Ritsu_

_Kanazuki Reiko_

_Hoshakuji Renge_

_Please find below the clues to locate these people. I'll give you this hint: the clues are easy at first, but stay at it, and they'll get harder. Find them all, find the clues to Haruhi. Don't find them, and they'll be released after a period of time. Once you find Kasugazaki-san, she will inform you of the time limit._

_Good luck, Suous! And let the games begin!_

_P.S. You'll find Kasugazaki-san in the place it all began, where music beguiles and smiles charm, where flattery reigns and noble ladies fall at the feet of those who rise above them. The exotic disease awaits that fleetingly thought to pursue the common cold. Too bad she didn't._

Silence reigned for a few minutes. They were all too shocked to comment.

"This is getting out of hand," Hideyo was the first to comment. "They've kidnapped more than just Fujioka-san? What can that mean?"

"I don't understand, Kyou-chan," Hunny softly remarked. "Why would they kidnap these specific people?"

"Don't you get it, Hunny-senpai?" Hikaru quickly countered. "They've kidnapped people who have visited the host club!"

"More than that," Kaoru added, "they've kidnapped people the host club has helped!"

"What does it mean, Kyouya?" Ranka-san now asked, feeling his heart clench at this news. "Who do you think has done this?"

Tamaki cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "We need to discuss the note first; then we can discuss its implications," he said, indicating Kyouya, who was nodding in approval.

"Well," Kyouya began, "I can tell you that they're changing things up in this note. In the first note, only the words were written backwards. In this one, the sentences were written backwards. That and the fact that this note included more names was what kept me working so long."

He took a breath before continuing, "Obviously this is being done by someone who has intimate knowledge of the host club's activities and the people we've helped. I expect it's someone out for revenge; however, I have to wonder if that conclusion is correct. It seems obvious, but that's what bothers me. This person took the time to plan things out to such a degree that we don't even have the option of notifying the police because it would go against the rules of the game."

"Therefore," he went on, "I think we should work on figuring out the clues, and with that said, I think we need to go in search of Kasugazaki-san first. Then we'll know how much time we have and have the first clue to think about."

"But Ootori-san," Hideyo now asked, "what do you make of the clue concerning her? I can't figure it out."

"Isn't it obvious, Hideyo-san?" Tamaki answered before Kyouya could speak up. "It said we'd find her in the place where it all began, and that, my dear, just happens to be the Third Music Room."

--

The whirring engines made her smile in her sleep. It reminded her of home. After all the traveling she'd done, it would be nice to go back home for once. Back to where her father doted on her, and her wonderful room full of her treasures awaited.

That thought jolted her out of sleep. She shouldn't be going home at all! She was supposed to be staying in Japan, so why was she...? She jerked upright, surprised when she felt her hands tied down to armrests. A piece of cloth over her eyes slid down her nose and dropped in her lap.

Immediately she looked around. Her senses had already registered that she was on a plane, but she wasn't sure why or how she'd gotten there. Her mind was muddled, but something was wrong. She shouldn't be here, tied up in a plane on her way to who knows where.

She looked around to see what she could find. Her mouth felt dry. It was probably due to the combination of whatever they'd used to knock her out and the dry airplane oxygen. She turned to her left and saw a familiar person. The yellow Ouran school uniform made her wonder if she was really seeing what she thought. The person shifted a bit, and she could see the short hair. It was her!

"Haruhi...," Renge breathed out, licking her dry lips as she looked at her friend. "Haruhi, wake up!" She now spoke louder, having noticed that the girl was tied down as well. They needed to figure out what was going on here and fast!

Before she could register the change in the lighting and the sudden shadow over her head, Renge found herself breathing in a sweet scent from a cloth that seemed to attach itself to her nose and mouth. She struggled for a moment but couldn't stop herself from falling into the seat once more and letting everything fade away.

...

_A/N: Well, now we have some fun new people to work with. I'm thrilled to offer you guys this rather amusing and entertaining twist. Expect lots of sparks, especially around Kyouya and Tamaki, and certainly not for the obvious reasons. I'm sorry for having to run away with our precious Haruhi, but that's what happens when you kidnap someone, I suppose. _

_On a side note, normally I would take the time to write all my reviewers a note thanking them and answering questions. Since it's so late and I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. I'm going to leave that to tomorrow. So don't worry if you don't have a note from me in your email quite as soon as I normally would after I post this. It will come in due time, I promise! _

_Thank you again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed that little chapter. It's getting interesting, no? Hehe...there's so much more where that came from, so please let me know what you thought! Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! _

_-Rae-_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I realized belatedly that I forgot to introduce character descriptions for the seven kidnapping victims. I realize most of you will already know who they are, or at least remember some of them, but I wanted to give you a short character description of each one. So, here they are..._

_Kasugazaki Kanako: second year class 2B originally, engaged to Suzushima Toru, a son of a dishware importer; she originally visits the host club because she's afraid that Toru doesn't love her the way she does him; the hosts help her get together with him at the Christmas ball_

_Suzushima Toru: second year class 2C originally, engaged to Kasugazaki Kanako, a beautiful girl who he feels is out of his league, decided to study abroad in England to get away from his stodgy image; the host club helped him realize that Kanako does indeed love him_

_Takaoji Shiro: elementary school student originally (from my understanding of the grading system); he came to the host club to get help making girls happy but ended up hurt because he felt the host club was a sham; the hosts, in turn, showed him that he really should focus on the girl he cared for, who incidentally was moving to Germany soon (I believe)_

_Nekozawa Umehito: if you don't know who this is, ask me in a review! I figure he's obvious._

_Kasanoda Ritsu: another obvious one, the son of a Yakuza who goes to the host club for help in becoming more accessible and friendly around his cohorts_

_Kanazuki Reiko: only seen in the manga, first year class 1D originally, member of the Black Magic Club; she falls in love with Hunny but doesn't know how to relate to anyone outside of curses; Hunny helps her understand that she can try to get to know people without cursing them into it_

_Hoshakuji Renge: again, another obvious one. I'll assume you know who she is unless asked._

_All righty then, I think it's time for the disclaimer and onto the stories. This chapter gets into more points of view and actually goes backwards in time a bit at the very beginning of the chapter; however, I think you'll understand why I did that once you've read it. _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only! Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It? **

**Chapter Three**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

The group stared at one another. They couldn't talk or move, and they were positive they wouldn't be able to get away. Each of them had been kidnapped from one location or another. Unfortunately, none of them knew what was going on or why they'd been targeted.

Kasugazaki Kanako and Suzushima Toru were sitting across from one another, both looking around anxiously. They'd been the first to arrive, tossed unceremoniously on the dirt floor of the rather shabby shack. The others had arrived soon after, also tossed haphazardly around the room. By the time it was full, seven people had been brought in, the last being a still struggling Hoshakuji Renge.

Renge was gone now. The three men who'd forced her into the shack were sporting scrapes and newly forming bruises from her wildcat attacks. Kanako and Toru watched in surprised silence as the girl continued to fight until she noticed there were others in the room.

Her eyes had landed on the two before quickly surveying the rest of the room, a delicate eyebrow lifting in shock at the occupants. At the same time as Kanako and Toru saw realization dawn in her eyes, one of the men lifted a beefy arm, hand clutching the butt of a gun, and smashed it down on the top of her head. She fell to the ground in an unladylike lump.

The men had paused to make sure no one else was moving or struggling, and then, satisfied, they'd turned to exit the dusty shack. No less than ten minutes had passed before they'd returned, and the three who were awake, which now included Takaoji Shiro, strained to hear the voice overhead. Apparently they were underground because the voice and the sounds filtering through held a very hollow quality in the stale air.

"You great oafs! You're supposed to get her to the..." the voice cut off for a moment. "Can't you just do your job, you idiots?! Get her out of there now!" The door slammed above them.

The three men walked quickly to the fallen Renge and snatched her off the floor, one of them throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. The ones watching heard an unconscious 'oof' emitted from her lips before the four left the room again, door slamming once more.

Now the only light came from a small lantern dangling dangerously from a plank lodged in the...wall? It looked like the floor, all dirt and dust and nastiness, really. Toru finally sighed in relief and made to move into a sitting position. It was difficult to do since he was tied so completely.

He'd noticed the rest of the cell's occupants were tied in a similar fashion. Their legs were tied tightly together at the knees and ankles, preventing any kind of movement. Their hands were taped together from the wrists to the first knuckles of their fingers in a very uncomfortable manner. All of them had been gagged as well, making speaking a fruitless endeavor. Toru managed to roll onto his knees before pulling his hands under him and using the leverage to push himself into a kneeling position. Somehow he managed to end up sitting with his legs extended in front of him, facing his fiancee.

Kanako, too, had been struggling to get seated, and Toru noticed that Shiro, to his left, was doing the same. When the three managed to get upright, they exchanged worried glances. The couple had no idea who Shiro was, especially since it was strange to see such a young boy amongst the older students. However, they knew each and every other face around the room.

In one corner, sporting several bruises and cuts, lay Kasanoda Ritsu. The boy looked like he'd been to hell and back; his shirt was ripped in places, and his hair was sticking up at all sorts of odd angles. When he'd been brought in, the four men surrounding him and thrown him onto the floor viciously, kicking him in the ribs as they left the boy to his unconscious, pained state.

Nekozawa Umehito, the Black Magic Club president himself, lay crumpled in the opposite corner. Next to him was Kanazuki Reiko, the Black Magic Club's 'Mistress of Maledictions'. The two seemed to be drawn to one another in a protective ball, and it appeared she had been hit at the back of the head while he'd tried to protect her. They both looked a bit worse for the wear.

Knowing they couldn't move and not sure of what was going on around them, the three simply watched each other and the door, gazes occasionally flickering to one of their comrades when they moved in their sleep. Finally Reiko began to stir. The girl shifted, obviously trying to stretch her tense muscles, and they saw her jerk into consciousness when she realized she was tied up. They watched as she tried to kick out her legs and ended up kicking Nekozawa in the back. The boy groaned loudly and began to wake up.

The irony in the situation would have amused Toru if he hadn't realized how serious all of this was. He wanted desperately to hold Kanako, but he couldn't even get over to her. He had to content himself with watching her until the brutes who'd kidnapped him came back to do...whatever it was they intended to do. He watched as Reiko and Nekozawa clambered slowly into the same sitting position he, Kanako, and Shiro had taken.

The two were looking at one another and then slowly began to survey the rest of the room, gazes lighting on the three in the center of the room. Nekozawa acknowledged them with a slight nod, wincing at some pain as he did so. Reiko let her eyes meet everyone else's before looking at the final, unconscious member of the party.

It seemed hours before Kasanoda decided to stir, Toru thought. He wondered how long they'd been in there. The only light they had was from the lantern, but he was getting tired. Perhaps it was evening. He knew it was only morning when he and Kanako had set out on their date, so he was sure it had been several hours. Now he was practically dying of thirst, and he was sure Kanako was as well. What was worse, he was hungry, too.

By the time Kasanoda had gotten oriented in their small prison, Toru had begun to hear voices outside the door again. Something was happening, he realized. The door opened suddenly, and he could hear two sets of feet coming down the steep slope.

A brighter light came with the two men. They set the lantern at the entrance of the dirty room and continued in, heading straight for Kanako. Toru's stomach tightened nervously.

"There, there, little missy," one of the men said, a tall, broad brunette with several scars on his bare upper arms. He had a tattoo on the side of his right bicep, but Toru couldn't make it out. "We've brought a little something for you."

The other man, a shorter but definitely broad blonde moved closer to the group, carrying what looked like a bucket. Something sloshed inside, and Toru's eyes closed as he heard the liquid. Oh, he hoped it was water!

The first man was undoing Kanako's gag, and Toru watched anxiously as his fiancee breathed raggedly once the thing was gone. If it was like his, he realized, she'd probably been having trouble breathing due to the nasty scent.

"Who are you?" His fiancee questioned nervously, eyes flying to his with fear lacing them. "What do you want with us?"

"Now, now," the first man answered lazily, "we can't tell you that, can we? But here, have a sip of water first. Then we'll have to get down to business." His eyes gleamed dangerously as he said this, and Toru feared for his fiancee's life.

The second man pulled a grimy looking cup from his pocket and dipped it down into the bucket, pulling it back with water dripping off it. Toru could have swooned. The water looked amazing, and he was so thirsty. His body subconsciously leaned toward the bucket before he realized what he was doing.

The man held the cup up to Kanako's lips, who sniffed a moment before letting her thirst overtake her. She drank greedily, sucking in the water as he tipped the cup up to allow more down her parched throat. The two men chuckled while watching her drink. She chugged all the water in the cup before having to lean back and pant from the exertion.

"All right there?" The first man questioned her. Kanako gave a slight nod. "Well then, I'm afraid we'll have to put the gag back now." He reached toward her head, and Kanako leaned back, whimpering a bit in fear. "Don't worry, little missy. Just be good, and you'll be out of here in no time." She reluctantly allowed him to tie the gag back in place, stifling another whimper as he did so.

That was when Toru realized they had another visitor. Another large brunette man walked confidently over to Kanako and leaned over, lifting her easily to his shoulder. She screamed through the gag, but the men ignored her cry and laughed to themselves.

"That a girl," the new man said, grinning at the woman hoisted over his shoulder, "we're going to take a little trip now. It's almost time for them to find you, and we oughtn't be late for that, right? Now, say goodbye to your little friends, and we're off!"

Before Toru could even attempt to follow, he saw Kanako's terrified eyes catch his as a tear trailed down her cheeks in her fear. The man quickly exited the room, leaving Toru more frustrated and scared than he'd ever been in his life.

--

Tamaki led the way to the Suou limo, quickly showing everyone inside. The interior was large, but with nine people herded inside, it seemed cramped. He'd already told the driver where to go and was pulling the door closed when the car started to move.

The group had decided everyone should go to the school. Yuzuru needed to see for himself that this wasn't just a horrible nightmare or some sick joke. Ranka was fearful for his daughter and would do anything to make sure she was okay; the clause in Tamaki's letter about never seeing Haruhi again left a deep impression on the single father.

Hideyo had agreed to help the hosts, and now she was being toted around like some sort of strange prisoner. None of them wanted to let her go home, not that she'd asked, and the boys all seemed wary of her presence despite her goodwill. She wasn't surprised, really. They honestly shouldn't trust her, she knew, but she wasn't about to say that to any of them. So she came along quietly hoping she could help but knowing this wasn't just a joke that could be easily resolved.

The host club members themselves were showing varying emotions. Hideyo was taking her time looking at each boy, trying to identify the emotions she saw. Hunny was stoic, very serious, and looking deeply troubled. Mori also was stoic, but his face was a mask that kept her from seeing past the facade. The twins, both of them, had identical expressions of anger and fear. Kyouya, she saw, was mysterious as usual; she couldn't quite see his eyes, but Hideyo knew they were troubled as well.

It was Tamaki that surprised her. She'd heard the rumors about his relationship with Haruhi back during his high school days, and she knew more about it than most of the Ouran student body. She had certain...connections...that allowed her to learn quite a bit about Fujioka and her family and background.

Now Hideyo studied Tamaki. What she'd heard was that he was just as sappy and idiotic around Haruhi as he had been around any number of his host club patrons. Hideyo looked for any indication that this was still true. She could see none. Where once his eyes had lit with romantic suggestions and semi-innuendo, they now darkened in serious study of the road ahead. His lips that so easily curved into a smile were pulled taut and thin.

She looked at his hands. They were clenched in his lap. His body was tense, as if held up by wires like a marionette that would jerk at the slightest tug from its puppeteer. Hideyo didn't like where any of this speculation was leading her, especially considering what she knew to be true about Tamaki. It appeared he'd finally gone from being a star-struck fool to finding someone he could truly love.

Ruthlessly banishing that thought to a forbidden corner of her mind, Hideyo redirected her attention to the window. The sun was long gone from the sky. It was almost 8 p.m., and they were racing through the streets to get to Ouran Academy, a place she'd vowed never to return to. She felt herself unintentionally tensing as the headlights roamed over the gates to the impressive school.

Once the car stopped, the group piled out quickly. Hideyo found Tamaki once more giving her a hand out, and she nodded in thanks but felt something was lacking. As one they walked toward the doors, the vice principal already waiting for them with the doors opened.

"Sir," the nervous man said, looking apprehensively at the hosts, "I still don't understand why you needed me to come out tonight. Is something wrong?"

"No," Yuzuru replied calmly. "I just needed you to come unlock the doors. I'd appreciate if you'd stay here and keep a watch out. If anyone approaches you or asks to come in, stop the person and hold him here, please."

The little man nodded uncertainly, eyes fearful for some reason. "And you will be...?" He trailed off, waiting for an answer to his incomplete question.

"Inside." Yuzuru was not particularly verbose this evening, it seemed. "Maurice will watch out for any intruders as well," he said, indicating the driver who was now doubling as a guard.

The group pushed past the vice principal before he could reply to this distressing news. Hideyo glanced at the man as she passed him and wondered vaguely if she'd seen him before. Reaching the stairs, she dismissed the thought entirely; of course she'd seen him. He was, after all, the vice principal.

The group followed Tamaki and Kyouya, who had unofficially taken the lead once the door was opened. They walked quickly but calmly up the stairs that would take them to the Third Music Room. Each of the former students was feeling some tug of nostalgia as they walked the halls of their former high school. The twins, still students, were looking around bored, though their eyes held a certain alertness that could be seen if one looked closely enough.

Finally reaching the room, Tamaki and Kyouya each took hold of a door and hesitated. Would they really find what they feared once the doors were opened? They both dreaded the thought that Kasugazaki Kanako could be inside. If she was, then they would know for sure that this wasn't some cruel prank. Both of them, all of them, really, wanted to find the room empty. Neither of them wanted to be the first to open the doors.

Taking a deep breath, Tamaki finally decided to end the waiting. His nerves had already been shot to hell and back, and he wondered if anything could make this day worse. He was terrified of what he'd find, but he had always been a leader. So, releasing the breath and the pent-up nerves along with it, he pulled the door open. Kyouya followed a bit slower.

For once, the doors to the music room did not bring the hosts any joy. They didn't watch as flowers flew through the opening, welcoming young ladies into the room they would find pleasure in. They didn't hear tinkling voices saying "Welcome" to those patrons they served. The memories flooded each host, but as they opened the door to the Third Music Room, they found...nothing?

Walking in, Tamaki realized that wasn't exactly accurate. There was something, and he didn't like it at all. The table next to a window held the only thing that could scare him right now: Haruhi's books. A CD player, one he recognized immediately, was on the floor next to an overturned chair. He walked slowly to the table, unconscious of the people following him. What he saw horrified him.

On the top of the chair and pooling in the floor was a bit of blood, mostly dried. It looked relatively fresh, though. Tamaki crouched down, picking up the CD player to look at it. He already knew what this meant, but the reality of it was almost too much for the young man who'd spent his last year wooing the very person he now knew was gone.

"Tamaki," Hunny's soft voice brought him out of his daze. "Tama-chan," his friend gently repeated, "we have to find Kasugazaki-san."

Remembering the note, Tamaki made a valiant effort to pull himself together. Standing, he looked at the friends who surrounded him. All of the hosts had crowded together in silent support, each knowing how much the boy felt for his delicate girlfriend. "All right," he said, voice tight with suppressed emotion. "Let's find her then."

They went to work searching the room, Yuzuru and Ranka helping. Hideyo had sat down on the couch feeling quite sick when she saw the blood. This was more serious than she'd expected, and she didn't know how much more she could endure. Seeing what could only be Fujioka-san's blood was extremely unsettling to the woman who had agreed to help this group.

The search took less than ten minutes. After all, the room was large but not heavily furnished. They checked behind the chairs in the corners of the room and moved the large curtains adorning the windows. Looking under tables didn't produce any results other than dustballs.

Kyouya looked at the rest of the hosts grimly. This wasn't a good sign. They needed to find Kasugazaki-san before someone worried about her being missing. He'd already realized the impact a massive search for current and former Ouran Academy students would have on the school and, more importantly, on the club they were all haphazardly connected to.

"The back room," Kaoru almost whispered, pointing to the door they now noticed was ajar.

They walked with trepidation, Tamaki once again in the lead, to the door. He pulled lightly on the handle and let go when the door seemed to open of its own accord. The group crowded around the former king to see what was inside the dankly lit room.

--

Kanako had been blindfolded before they left the building; she could only assume it was a house. She hadn't seen much before they did it, and obviously they didn't care that she could describe the place she'd been imprisoned either. The man had merely blindfolded her and warned her that if she tried to struggle she would be knocked out. So she allowed herself to be carried to what felt like a vehicle of some sort. She couldn't tell if it was a car or a truck, but she knew she'd been laid on a seat and strapped in somehow.

The trip was short. She hadn't noticed anything distinguishable about it except that they went over railroad tracks. Once more she was pulled out of the car and propped over the man's shoulder. She felt a bit like a rag doll, but since they'd done nothing to hurt her yet, she wouldn't complain.

Entering a building, she listened to a door shut quietly behind them and felt herself being carried up a staircase. Shoes clicked over a hard floor, and she realized there were at least two people with her. They walked for a few minutes before yet another door opened and closed behind them.

Finally the man set her gently on the floor, she assumed. She felt a wall at her back and leaned against it gratefully, her knees pulled up to her chest for protection. The man removed the blindfold and smirked at her.

"Well, we've arrived, your highness," he grunted, giving her a mock bow. "We'll be leaving you now since your heroes are coming to rescue you soon enough." He laughed coarsely at his joke and then turned and left the small room. Kanako saw just a flash of a piano before the door was pushed almost closed.

She looked around the dimly lit room and tried to figure out why it was so familiar. There were floor-to-ceiling cabinets to her right, and she wondered what was in them. Her eyes fell on one that was slightly opened, and she decided to investigate.

Struggling to her knees, she used her elbows and knees to awkwardly move across the carpeted floor, feeling the carpet scrape her bare knees. Inwardly she cursed her tendency to wear short skirts around Toru. Reaching the cabinet, she sat back on her knees and used the tips of her bound fingers to pull the door open.

It was empty except for a stuffed bear. Kanako searched her memory, knowing the bear should trigger some event or person or thing. Feeling frustrated when she couldn't figure it out, she swung her arms out to the side of the open door and pushed it closed.

She made her way back to the wall, panting with the effort, and wondered just who was supposed to come and find her. She estimated that the men had been gone for about an hour, but not having a clock made it impossible to tell for sure. Then she heard it. A door opening caught her attention.

She pulled her legs up protectively, trying to see if there was somewhere to hide. Perhaps the men had come back to kill her or do something crueler. Kanako didn't want to find out, but the room was so bare she'd have to be able to get into a cabinet for them not to find her. Thinking she'd hit on a great idea, Kanako struggled to her knees once more.

Then she heard the voices. It sounded like men, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Her heart raced as she realized footsteps were headed toward the door. She awkwardly raised up on her knees, hands held to her chest as if in supplication as the door opened.

Tamaki blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the darkened room as he realized who he was looking at. Rushing into the room, he knelt down at Kanako's side gently.

"Oh, my dear princess," he said, immediately reverting to host club king as he saw her eyes well up with tears at his familiar face. He put his hands gently around her head and removed the gag before looking at her arms and legs. "Who would do such a thing to a lovely young woman like yourself?" He stroked her short hair soothingly as she continued to cry.

The rest of the group had come into the room at this point and was staring at the couple on the floor. Tamaki began to unwind the tape around Kanako's wrists, murmuring soothing nothings all the while. By the time he untied her knees and ankles, she had calmed enough to speak.

"Tamaki-san," she croaked out through dry lips, "how did you know where I was? Have you found Toru? Where are we? What's going on, Tamaki-san?" Her relief and fear had culminated into a slightly hysterical young woman peppering the man who'd rescued her with questions.

"Shh," he soothed, once again running his fingers through her hair. "I'll answer your questions in a moment, but we need to get you out into the light where we can see if you're hurt." So saying, he pulled the woman into his arms and lifted her easily, carrying her bridal style into the lit Third Music Room.

Kanako blinked for a moment as she recognized her surroundings. "We're at Ouran?" She asked dumbly, staring up at Tamaki as he placed her gently on the couch.

"Yes," he said softly. "Now, Kasugazaki-hime, please tell us if you're hurt. Should we take you to a hospital?"

"No, I'm not hurt. Just thirsty...and a little hungry," she admitted hesitantly. Her eyes widened with remembrance. "Tamaki-san, have you found Toru and the others?"

Kanako felt unnerved when the hosts exchanged glances before looking at her solemnly. A moment passed before Hideyo returned from the back room where she'd retrieved a glass from a cabinet. She passed the glass of water to Kanako, who drank thirstily before smiling slightly at the older girl in thanks.

"I think," Kyouya now said, "we need to hear what's happened to you before we explain what's going on Kasugazaki-san."

She looked fully at those surrounding her. Kanako recognized two of the outsiders: Ayanokoji and Suou Yuzuru; however, she wasn't sure about the somewhat feminine man who'd accompanied them. Not knowing what to do, she looked around desperately in need of Toru's comforting arms.

"Please just tell me if you've found him yet," she now requested, her voice cracking a little with fear.

Surprisingly it was Hunny who sat down next to the trembling girl. He took her hand in his as he replied, "I'm sorry, Kasugazaki-san. We haven't found him yet." She slumped in her seat, feeling more fear and anxiety than before. "But," he continued, "if you can tell us what's happened to you, it might help us find him faster."

That loosed her tongue, and she quickly recited her tale. Kanako explained that she and Toru had been having breakfast out when he'd received a phone call. He left the restaurant to take the call but never came back. She'd gone to look for him when she felt someone grab her, a hand around her mouth. The person had warned her that if she yelled, she wouldn't see Toru again, so she'd kept quiet and docilely walked ahead of the man who had a knife at her back.

Once she made it to his car, she found Toru tied and gagged inside, looking at her with wide, fearful eyes. Two men beside him held rope that she knew would be used to tie her up as well. Feeling afraid for both their lives, Kanako had allowed them to tie her up and strap her into the car.

She told the group about the dank cellar-like place they'd been held and of watching the others be brought in.

"Was Haruhi there?" Tamaki eagerly asked. "Did you see her?" He now demanded, hands on her shoulders.

Kanako shook her head. "No. I didn't see Haruhi-kun there," she replied, slipping into the old honorific she'd used for the host.

Tamaki slumped down onto the floor sadly, eyes downcast, as she finished her story. She explained that Renge-san had been moved first, almost savagely, and then she told of her own removal from the room. The hosts had seemed surprised that Renge was the first to leave the room, but Kanako decided to question that after she finished her story.

"They left me in that room after that," she was now saying. "I think it might have been an hour before you all arrived, but I'm not sure."

The group looked at one another before Tamaki nodded to his best friend. Kanako saw it and wondered what it meant. She was soon to find out as they unanimously decided to bring her up to speed on what was going on. By the end of the story, Kanako was horrified. They showed her the notes and the equivalent translations before telling her that they feared for Haruhi's life if they didn't solve the clues. So saying, Kyouya now asked her if the men had given her anything or put anything on her person to serve as a clue.

"I'm sorry, Kyouya-san," she replied to the dark-haired boy, "but they didn't give me anything. I wish I could help."

The hosts and their newfound helpers looked at one another solemnly. This was a twist they hadn't expected.

--

She woke up slowly, feeling sluggish for some reason. Thinking back, she wondered what exactly had happened. Her eyes lit on the window in the rather large room. She couldn't remember where she was.

A door opening had her looking around for the source of the noise. She couldn't see it, but after a moment, a maid, followed by two women, came from around a corner. One of the women looked extremely familiar, the other vaguely so, but she couldn't figure it out.

"How are you feeling, Miss Emilia?" The maid bearing a tray of food asked her, looking at her with concern.

"Emilia..." she breathed the name, thinking about the way it felt on her tongue. It was different than she'd expected, not quite...right. Ignoring the question, she asked one of her own. "Where are we?"

"We're at the manor, of course," the more familiar-looking woman replied after being poked by the other woman's fan. "You must have come down with a fever," she said, looking disgusted by the words coming out of her mouth. "You've been asleep for a week."

Emilia blinked at the other woman, feeling slight surprise. "I have?" She asked vaguely. "I'm confused." She felt the need to admit to the confusion she felt. She'd never had an experience like this before, or at least, she thought she hadn't. She wasn't sure.

Her head was foggy. It felt like a great blank existed right in the spot her memories should be, and that bothered her. She'd never felt this empty before: empty of memories, of a past...of her identity.

"Arianne will be taking care of you until you are well again," the familiar woman was saying as the other woman prodded her once more with the fan. The two then exited the room, leaving Emilia alone with the blond-haired maid.

Once outside the room and free of the cloying presence of her captor, Renge sank to her knees, her back against the door. "Oh Haruhi," she moaned quietly as the sound of the other woman's heels against the hard floor faded, "what's going to happen to us?"

...

_A/N: Now I know what you're all thinking...'what on earth was she doing with that last part?!' Trust me, I expected this, and I'm here to tell you that everything, down to the very last little detail, has been planned out painstakingly. I mean, I've put thought into this, and I think the only hints I can give you are pretty big ones right now, even though I haven't figured out where I'm going with this yet. But, if you figured out the last part, which I'm sure you all did since you're smart, I'll give you this added hint: I'm using words, names, places very carefully in this fic because there is an important, and somewhat shocking, underlying reason for Haruhi's kidnapping...and for the choice of the seven people kidnapped. So look closely if you want to figure it out before I explain everything._

_The only reason I posted this so soon is because I spent a large portion of my day writing this and the next chapter of the story. Now that I'm back on track in terms of having at least one chapter ready to post, I think I'll get into the swing of this story. It's a challenge, though, because I keep having to look up minor details (you'll see more of that in the next chapter, trust me) to get the exact connotation I'm going for. As it is, I greatly appreciate your reviews and support and look forward to hearing what you think of this newest chapter!_

_Finally, on a personal note, I wanted to add that I've posted two potential story ideas on my profile if any of you want to go and check them out. The last two ideas on my "Upcoming Stories" are the ones I'm talking about, and I'd love to hear from some of you about which sounds more interesting. But, don't feel obligated to check it out; it's just a shout out to those who might be interested in seeing what else I have up my sleeves. _

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to any reviews you send! Thanks so much for reading, and I'll try to keep up the quick updates! _

_-Rae-_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm back with the fourth chapter; I got half of the fifth chapter written before realizing the brilliant idea I had wouldn't work based on something I'd already said in the story. Drat. Hate it when that happens. This chapter took a lot of research, and I can tell you that it was very fun because I got to look into the deeper ideas behind tea and classical music. I hope I've explained them well enough in the chapter; however, if you find yourself having questions about the references, a quick search on tea grading and classical music genres will hopefully clear things right up. I'm not a genius on these subjects, but I couldn't help using the ideas that popped into my head. _

_IMPORTANT: By the way, since the formatting is off on the note/clue part of this chapter, you'll see extra '--' lines in the chapter to separate the three parts of the note. I'm sure it will make sense once you read it, but I wanted to forewarn everyone about the minor glitch. _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks! _

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**Chapter Four**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

Kasanoda Ritsu watched the doorway with fearful eyes. He wasn't sure who was next, but he knew it was going to be soon. The men seemed to be coming in hour-long intervals. Kanako had been the first to go, but then the men returned about an hour later to take Suzushima Toru.

The three who were left had realized the pattern after it came time for the men to take Takaoji Shiro. Kasanoda remembered the kid as the "lovely item" the twins had forced on him, the same lovely item that scared the living daylights out of his men when they thought the boy was kidnapped. The pattern, the remaining prisoners noted, was always the same.

The men would come down, take away the gag of the intended target, and offer him a drink of water. Then they'd replace the gag and take the person away to who knows where. Shiro, it seemed, had realized their intentions because he'd waited until his gag was removed to bite the brunette's hand viciously. That earned the kid a backhanded slap and no water as he struggled against the man forcing his gag back into place.

They'd watched him fight vainly, looking a bit like a worm fighting a fishing pole's hook before the man had punched him in the stomach. Kasanoda was angry, but he knew there was nothing he could do but sit and watch. Shiro couldn't breathe from the hit, and the man quickly picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder in the same fashion as he had Kanako and Toru. The boy's control, which had been icy calm from the moment he woke up, finally broke, and Kasanoda's heart nearly broke as Shiro sent him a pleading, fearful glance before he disappeared from sight.

Nekozawa and Reiko had managed to move towards the light from their place in the corner, but Kasanoda had no desire to do so. It would attract more attention, and even though he knew the men would come for him eventually, he didn't want to get another broken rib anytime soon.

A door opened in the distance. The three tensed from fear and anxiety. Kasanoda was exhausted and in pain, but he wanted to be alert to collect more information about the men who'd kidnapped him. So far he hadn't gotten very lucky.

He watched as the same three men sauntered into the room. Once again they were locked in on their target: Nekozawa, it seemed. The blonde untied the gag this time. Nekozawa appeared to have no desire to speak; he simply waited until the blonde guard held the cup to his lips and drank deeply.

Kasanoda felt a spiraling sense of hopelessness engulf him. They were resigned to the fact that these men were going to take each and every one of them somewhere. He wished he knew where. It was like going into an execution blindfolded. Kasanoda shivered at that thought.

Looking at Nekozawa now, Kasanoda had to give him some credit. The guy had grown up a lot, and he was not showing an ounce of fear to his captors. Even as the men joked and tried to get a rise out of him, Nekozawa remained calm and collected, sitting still as the blonde tied the gag back in place.

Kasanoda and Reiko watched silently as the men lifted Nekozawa and carried him away. When he was gone, Reiko emitted a mournful sound through the gag. She looked like she'd lost her last friend in the world. Kasanoda wondered if she'd been able to keep up her stoicism only while the former president of the Black Magic Club and her good friend was around to draw support from.

The girl turned to him, eyes lonely and scared, and Kasanoda couldn't help it. He struggled to his knees and painfully made his way over to where she sat in the center of the room. More than he wanted to hide from potential harm, Kasanoda knew he wanted to comfort the girl who was trembling next to him. So he sat next to her, hoping his presence would bring her some peace.

He was shocked beyond words when she adjusted her position to lie down, letting her head rest in his lap. Knowing they would only have an hour before one of them left, Kasanoda allowed himself to bask in the slight comfort he now felt from the presence of an unlikely comrade. Reiko slowly drifted off into a troubled sleep, and Kasanoda took the moment to wonder how long they truly had been there.

--

Hideyo was scared. Could Kasugazaki-san be telling the truth? Had the men really not left any clue to the rest of their captives' whereabouts? She wanted to believe it wasn't true, but Kasugazaki was crying with the realization that they had nothing to go on.

The twins were kicking things and yanking dishes out of the cabinets in the back room. Hideyo could hear the crashing of fine China against the walls as they hurled things in their frustration. Kyouya's eyes were dark as he wrote furiously in his notebook; he looked as though he were tackling some large puzzle that he needed to solve. Hunny and Mori were standing dumbfounded. Both the graduates had looked completely shocked upon hearing the news, and they seemed to not have gotten over this new complexity.

Hideyo walked over to the table where Ranka-san sat. He had his head buried in his arms, but she could tell that he was in great pain. The man had dropped like a rock as soon as Kasugazaki said she had nothing to give them. Yuzuru and Tamaki had helped him to the table where he now sat silently, his shoulders shaking a bit from withholding his tears.

Yuzuru and Tamaki were the only ones taking action. Though it appeared father and son had different ideas about what needed to be done. Yuzuru was walking around the club room examining everything for some hint of a clue. He'd already pulled everything out of Haruhi's abandoned backpack and flipped through her books. Now he was checking under chairs and tables for something that might have been taped underneath.

Tamaki, on the other hand, had moved to his beloved piano. His eyes had glassed over when he realized there was nothing more to do. It was almost painful to watch; the pent-up energy that had kept him moving, kept him searching and hoping had suddenly vanished. Now he was limp and sitting listlessly at his piano.

Feeling a need to do something, anything, he decided to open the cover on the piano keys. Taking the knobs in hand, he lifted the cover gently, like caressing an old friend. However, when he unveiled the keys, to his shock, Tamaki found yet another bloody note sitting precisely on top of the key of middle C. His eyes widened, and he snatched the note eagerly, his shout bringing the others running.

They stood around the piano, nervous energy flowing among them, and looked at the note Tamaki now held. In bloody letters on the outside, it read simply "Hosts," something new and different. They waited with bated breath as Tamaki removed the tape holding the note closed. He unfolded the note and sighed when yet another "coded" letter appeared before his eyes.

The letter was passed from person to person, and they read:

_Yenom_

_yltnatropmi erom, dna, aet no,_

_pus ylideerg ot eno spleh_

_puc detropmi na taht _

_ees yllaer tndid yeht_

_inornij, doowegdew,_

_aet gnissot fo dnof erew._

_aes snotsob raen snacirema_

_yrolg ni demarf staht;_

_yrotsih emos rebmemer stel_

_urot amihsuzus taht dnif ot:_

_uous ikamat, eulc a sereh_

--

_Ereht gnohcuos eht dnif lluoy_

_yenoh dna yarg lrae htiw edilloc?_

_Yenom seno seod erehw dna_

_htlaets fo stnemom doohdlihc teem?_

_Htlaew dna stropmi od erehw os_

--

_Dnim eligarf sihurah ni._

_Edam eb ot seiromem ekaf_

_diam riaf a gnihctaw elihw_

_ironij morf eldeen revlis gnippis,_

_eb lliw ohw eno eht dnif neht_

_ssarc os si gnignirbpu esohw,_

_Ssal eht dnif tsum uoy fi, sala,_

_Tsrow eht ylpmis si ti, on!_

_tsriht ruoy hcneuq aet a hcus nac?_

_tsum a gnissecorp, aet kcalb;_

_Tsuj ylno si ihurah ruoy yas i_

_uous, aet numeek htiw?_

_od ot thiw eat eldeen revlis sah tahw_

_ees ot eulc a uoy evig em tel--_

_Ihurah suoicerp ruoy ot sa,_

--

_Gnikcit si kcolc eht._

_Uous, htnom eno._

"Kyouya?" Tamaki asked the unspoken question, offering up the letter to his intelligent friend. The dark-haired young man took the letter and walked over to the table to translate yet another note.

While they waited, the twins went back to the other room to clean up their mess. It was more due to Yuzuru's disapproval than any desire on their parts to do so. Hideyo smirked a bit at the two pranksters who had poured water over her head when she'd gotten out of hand. While she wasn't friends with any of them, she felt closest to the twins, who she felt would understand her immaturity and tendencies to do extreme things in her anger or jealousy.

Hideyo herself sat with Kanako, offering the girl comforting words to make her feel better. The girl was extremely worried about Toru and the others, and she just wanted to see her fiance. Hideyo could relate; she really wanted to find someone to hold her after today's ordeal. And, she realized tiredly, it was already 9 p.m.; she'd received the note around 3 p.m. Hideyo was exhausted from all the worry and adrenaline rushes she'd endured.

Tamaki had been pacing the floor by the window. He was frustrated and worried over Haruhi, and his anxiety was getting the best of him. Feeling more and more angry as every minute passed without his girlfriend, he finally found himself turning to the one thing that could calm him when his world was all topsy-turvy: music. Seating himself at the baby grand piano of the Third Music Room, he began to play Chopin's _Fantasie Impromptu No. 4 in C Sharp Minor_.

Slowly the tension eased from his shoulders as he poured himself into his song. Tamaki felt impressed upon to play this impromptu by the child prodigy Chopin; it reminded him of the old host club in some ways. The fantastical aspects to the song were soothing in the same way the incessantly loud but always pleasant host club had been on his nerves.

He'd once told Haruhi the reason he started the club. He wanted to create a family of his own because he'd lost his mother. It wasn't much, but the guys of the host club made him feel like he was important, like he belonged. Since he'd moved to Japan, Tamaki explained, he'd felt completely out of sorts, and though he'd embraced the change out of necessity, his boyish attitude had been covering all the confusion and worry he felt about leaving his mother behind.

Tamaki told his girlfriend that being able to pretend to be a family was what had kept him somewhat sane. Leaving his mother in France had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, and he wanted, no, needed, something to do, something to energize him and keep him from sinking into the depression that had followed him from his home. When he struck on the idea for a host club, he said, it was either pursue this avenue of distraction or allow himself to be drained of the will to live.

Haruhi had listened and allowed him to explain what he felt to her; she'd expressed her own feeling of pain and confusion when her mother died, and she truly understood him. For her, she had said, latching onto law school was her means of keeping her mother alive in her heart and keeping herself from completely drying up inside and losing every part of her happiness. So Tamaki found himself once again with a kindred spirit, one he realized he had grown to love more than he'd ever thought possible.

Now he sat playing the song he'd memorized years ago. His fingers flew over the piano keys with ease, and he remembered the first time he'd played the song for his grandmother.

_Tamaki sat at the grand piano inside the large sitting room in the French manor he was living in. His mother and a woman he'd never seen before were seated; his mother was on the champagne-colored love seat, smiling at him, her blue eyes lit up with happiness but tinged with something he couldn't define. The other woman, who was older than his mother, sat in a plush, royal purple chair, her back as straight as that of the chair, and her hands folded demurely in her lap. She had a rather sour expression on her face as she looked at him. _

_"Play for us, Tama," his mother had implored, encouraging him with a wink when he looked apprehensively at the stranger. _

_Turning to his piano, he'd allowed himself to relax completely. He'd done this many times before for his ailing mother, and now he would do it again. Taking a moment to listen to what strains of music his heart was calling him to play, Tamaki soon found himself indulging in the Chopin piece that had always caused his mind to fill with daydreams. _

_He was swaying a bit with the lilt of the song and really beginning to enjoy himself. His mother, he knew, would be watching with proud eyes, wanting to show off her charming son. Tamaki was only a minute into the song, but he was determined to please his mother and the other woman, who'd only been introduced as Takako-san._

_"Stop," a cold voice interrupted his playing, and his fingers landed in an awkward splay on the keys, creating a discordant sound in comparison to the melodious trill of a moment before. _

_Tamaki turned to look at the woman who'd stopped him. "Takako-san," he began, unsure of the ire on her face, "why...what...?" He had no chance to phrase the question._

_"How dare you teach him such ridiculous foppery!" Takako-san was now coldly reprimanding his mother. "I can't allow him to learn songs like this!" _

_"But Takako-san," his mother replied calmly, "it's a classic. I've taught Tamaki to appreciate the beauty and timelessness of the classical composers, and this piece happens to have played a part in shaping a veritable genre of classical music. I see no problem with it." _

_Tamaki felt that another conversation was being waged in the silences and pointed glances of the two women before him. He couldn't help feeling that Takako-san was silently assessing his mother and himself, seeing flaws he couldn't possibly understand. _

_"And do you know what 'genre of classical music' you've just bestowed on us?" She looked him in the eyes as she asked this, as if daring him to mess up so she could prove her point. _

_"It's an impromptu," Tamaki answered immediately. He had learned from an early age to appreciate such works, and he felt there was no problem with it. _

_"Yes," she grudgingly said. Then, gathering her fury around her once more, she continued, "And I'm sure you know, then, that an impromptu is reminiscent of off-hand, loose stylization. Composers of impromptu made it light, to be played almost haphazardly; it requires little control and begs improvisation from the player." _

_Tamaki nodded dutifully. He understood what she was saying, but he wasn't sure what she was getting at. A glance at his mother showed she had some idea because her confident expression of a moment before had disappeared. _

_"Impromptus are a cop out," Takako-san ruthlessly continued. "They allow foolish dreaming and can never hope to ring out like their more established predecessors. An impromptu can never evoke the beauty and class of a nocturne, sonata, or etude." Whirling to glare at his mother, she ground out, "How dare you teach a Suou such garbage!" _

His fingers neared the end of the piece, and he remembered how he'd been sent out of the room on that last comment. His mother looked furious with the woman, but Tamaki could still remember hiding behind a pillar as they exited the room, his mother white and trembling, and Takako-san sneering victoriously. Two days later they'd told him that he'd have to move to Japan to save his mother's life. That was when he found out that Takako-san was his grandmother; from that point on, she'd had nothing to do with him if she could help it.

The piece rose to a crescendo, fell to a murmur, and Tamaki felt incomplete at the ending as he always had. Just like the host club, just like Haruhi's kidnapping, the song gave a sense of unfinished business, a mystery wrapped in an enigma that Tamaki couldn't quite figure out. Before he had time to ponder that thought, however, Kyouya walked back to the piano.

When everyone had finished gathering around, Kyouya brought out the note he'd translated and said, "This time it's a rhyme or a poem; I'm not sure what it's meant to be. They wrote each stanza backwards." So saying, he handed the note to Hikaru to read aloud.

The older Hitachiin twin looked at the group and then began to read:

_Here's a clue, Tamaki Suou_

_to find that Suzushima Toru: _

_Let's remember some history_

_that's framed in glory;_

_Americans near Boston's sea_

_were fond of tossing tea._

_Wedgewood, Jinori,_

_they didn't really see_

_that an imported cup _

_helps one to greedily sup_

_on tea, and, more importantly,_

_money._

--

_So where do imports and wealth_

_meet childhood moments of stealth? _

_And where does one's money_

_collide with Earl Gray and honey?_

_You'll find the souchong there._

--

_As to your precious Haruhi,_

_let me give you a clue to see--_

_what has Silver Needle Tea to do_

_with Keemun Tea, Suou?_

_I say your Haruhi is only just_

_black tea, processing a must;_

_can such a tea quench your thirst?_

_No, it is simply the worst!_

_Alas, if you must find the lass,_

_whose upbringing is so crass,_

_then find the one who will be_

_sipping Silver Needle from Jinori, _

_while watching a fair maid_

_fake memories to be made_

_in Haruhi's fragile mind._

--

_One month, Suou. _

_The clock is ticking..._

"What on earth does that mean?" Kaoru spoke up softly as his brother sat the note on the table. "What is it talking about? Silver Needle? Keemun Encore? I don't get it!"

"Silver Needle is a type of tea, Hitachiin-san," Hideyo felt compelled to point out. "Though I'm not sure what kind of tea it is. I've never studied tea before."

"No, but I have a little knowledge," Yuzuru put in. "Silver Needle Tea is a white tea, a very rare one, I might add, from China. And, if I'm not mistaken Keemun Tea is a black tea."

"But that doesn't tell us anything!" Kaoru exclaimed out of pure frustration. "This isn't hard; it's impossible!"

"No, it's not impossible," Kanako now said, her voice growing stronger from where she stood rereading the note. She looked at the twins next to her, Hikaru directly to her left and Kaoru on Hikaru's left. "It's a puzzle. We have to figure it out."

"By necessity," Kyouya added, "we have to figure out where Suzushima-san is before we can continue working on the clue about Haruhi. Let's focus on the first two stanzas. Do you think that will work for you, Kasugazaki-san?"

She nodded distractedly, reading the first stanza again. The twins and Suous were leaning in to read it as well. On the other side of the piano, Kyouya produced a copy of the note for himself, the cousins, and Hideyo to study. Ranka-san was still looking quite shell-shocked, but he seemed to be improving as he sipped on some water.

"Well," Hikaru finally said after having read and reread the first stanza, "I'm not sure about all the business with the imports, but isn't it strange that the person would refer to the incident with the Americans and the British? I mean, that's really obscure."

"Yes," Hideyo answered, "but it does apply to the poem, don't you think? It sounds to me as if the person were trying to simply make it creatively confusing. Besides, isn't the information about the cups more important?"

Hunny nodded distractedly, his blond head hovering over the paper in front of him as he said, "Ayanokoji-chan's right." Hideyo blinked at him, surprised at the honorific. "It talks about the different types of imports Suzushima Commerce deals in, right, Kyou-chan?"

The dark haired boy agreed. "So it's referring to the company when it refers to greed and money. I think the person is trying to make a statement about wealth; I'm not quite sure what, though."

Tamaki now asked the question that had perplexed him as read the second stanza. "What is this souchong that it refers to? I've never heard of that term before."

"It's referring to Toru," a shakily controlled voice said. They looked up to see Kanako, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "Souchong is a grade of whole leaf tea," she explained. "The word literally refers to those leaves plucked from the bottom of the plant; souchong implies that it's of lower quality than other grades of tea."

"But how do you know that it's referring to Suzushima-san?" Kaoru asked soothingly.

"You have to read the rest of the stanza to understand," Kanako replied. She did so, trying to see what made this so familiar. Suddenly her face turned pale, and she gasped. "Oh my gosh!" Her exclamation and sudden pallidness caused the twins and Tamaki to reach for her. "They know about our secret spot!"

"What secret spot?" Yuzuru asked as Tamaki and Hikaru helped Kanako to the couch to sit down.

"When we were little, Toru and I used to go to his family's other home; it was located in the Chiba prefecture," she explained. "We would spend hours there playing and having fun, but our favorite place was the back tea room. Toru's family was known for having paid tea masters on hand to demonstrate the excellence of their imports, and this home was used for all their tea exhibits with their clients." She paused to take a drink.

"When we could slip away from our nannies, we'd go spy on the tea exhibits and study how the tea masters held their cups and drank the tea," she continued. "Then we'd go to the back tea room where all the special cups were housed. We'd take our own tea cups--we each had a favorite--and sit there admiring the cups before we'd pretend to drink our own tea. No one ever suspected that we were back there because we were strictly prohibited from going back there in the first place; they never thought we'd disobey." She smiled ruefully at that thought.

"And you think that's where the kidnappers have taken Suzushima-san?" Kyouya's question brought Kanako's thoughts back to the present.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm sure of it."

"But how can you be sure?" The shadow king pressed her, wanting to be positive before spending valuable time going to a different prefecture to search for a kidnapped schoolmate.

"It's simple: Suzushima-san kept his most expensive imported cups in that same room where we sat and played for hours on end," she answered. "Besides, the maids there know my preference for Earl Gray with a teaspoon of honey, and they'd always bring me a cup before we left to come back home. Toru has to be there."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Tamaki was thrilled to have something to do. "Let's get going!"

"Tamaki," Kyouya's calm voice brought him back to earth with a thump, "we can't go tonight. It's already 10:30. It would take us a couple of hours to get there at this point. We'll have to go tomorrow."

"But-"

"Yes, Tamaki-san," Kanako was regretfully saying. "The caretaker for the house lives about an hour away, and he always goes home at night. They only open the house in the summers, so we wouldn't be able to get in tonight even if we tried."

--

Emilia was confused. Something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She watched the older maid walk around the room, moving a pillow this way or that, picking up a discarded piece of clothing. The woman was so familiar but in such a distant way that Emilia couldn't place her finger on the similarity to a lost memory.

Arianne coughed weakly, rousing Emilia from her musings. "Are you okay?" Emilia was concerned for the woman; she seemed very frail and looked as if a strong wind would blow her over.

"Yes, Miss Emilia," came the breathy reply. "I'm fine, thank you."

Emilia looked at the woman, studying her features. She had blond hair that fell in slight waves to just past her shoulders. Her eyes were the most vibrant feature she had, a shockingly bright blue that could almost be violet if you looked at them in the right light. Her lips were somewhat thin, and her nose strong and straight. But it was the eyes that drew Emilia.

She could swear she'd seen eyes like those before. She wracked her brain, trying desperately to remember where she'd seen them before. Nothing was forthcoming, but she continued to think.

Suddenly an image came to her. Violet eyes. Beautiful, deep violet eyes that seemed to caress and devour her with their intensity. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she gasped slightly.

"Miss Emilia?" The concerned voice of her maid brought her out of her trance-like state. "Miss, are you alright?" Emilia focused on the blue eyes staring down at her and forced herself to nod. "Can I get you something? Some water, perhaps?"

"No, no," Emilia reassured Arianne and herself. "I'm fine, but perhaps you could tell me something else." She waited and assessed the woman before her; Arianne looked open and willing. "You see, something has happened to me, but I can't remember what it is. In fact, I can't remember much of anything before I woke up. Could you tell me something about myself? It might help me remember. Perhaps my last name? That's a start, right?"

Arianne looked troubled as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her white aprons. "Well, Miss, it's just that...I, er, don't really know your last name," she finally admitted. "When you were brought here, we were told that you were a resident of the manor who'd gotten hurt. That's all. I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Perhaps you should ask the mistress?"

Emilia nodded, feeling disappointed at the lack of information. For some reason she couldn't quite peg, she knew something was wrong. Every time she heard her name, she felt like it belonged to someone else. Nothing about the room was familiar, and even the maid sounded different from voices she could vaguely remember in her past.

Arianne, seeing her charge looking so contemplative, decided to leave her to her thoughts. Emilia paid her no mind, lost in the growing conundrum before her. She thought for a long time, pondering what could have made her lose her memories before she finally surrendered to the growing headache she had.

Knowing that she would rid herself of the headache if she slept, though not sure how she knew, Emilia succumbed to her pillow and laid on it. With nothing but a mystery in her mind, she decided to count the proverbial sheep in order to fall asleep. She only reached sheep number 99 before falling into a strange, dream-filled sleep.

...

_A/N: Well, that's that. I've officially screwed poor Haruhi over. Well, I guess that's not true, but she won't be happy when she realizes what's happened to her. And, surprisingly enough, I took an idea that a reviewer gave me and ran with it in the next chapter. There's going to be a little more about Haruhi and Renge's situation that you folks can chew on, and of course, the hosts will be traveling to Chiba to find our kidnapped Toru. After re-watching the first six episodes of the anime with friends today, I was invigorated and decided to work on the next chapter, which is why you're getting this one now. I'll try to finish the next one soon._

_I'm hoping to keep the kidnapper identities secret for now, but I think the real mystery is why the kidnapping happened in the first place. Now, I realize most of you have ideas about who's kidnapped Haruhi, and it's funny because most of those guesses have been narrowed down to two culprits. If that's the case, then I challenge you to read between the lines of the clues and other items and figure out what the deeper meaning of all this is. This chapter should give you a better idea, especially paired with the first few notes._

_As always, thank you all for reviewing. You make this story great because I wouldn't be motivated to write it without encouragement! (That's the reason I don't do original stories, actually.) And I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again! _

_-Rae-_


	5. Chapter 5

_Note on OCs/Pairings: To everyone who's reading this chapter, please don't panic on me. LOL. This story is somewhat of an exercise in creating and using believable OCs for me. With that said, I'm going to go ahead an alleviate some fears about the OC introduced in this chapter: this character is a work in progress that should not be a huge threat (to whom I'll not say). I risk giving away where I'm going with this if I say too much, but I'll just reiterate that this IS a TamaHaru fic. I'm also going to go ahead and let you in on a little secret: I've got four pairings set up for this story, and one of them was a surprise even to me. _

_Now, I'll add that one of those pairings is between my OC and an OHSHC character, but I can promise you it's not the OC and a host. (It's not a big deal to give that way, and you'll see why in a minute.) Anyway, that's the note for this chapter, so please don't panic when you read about my OC. He's one of those "love to hate 'em" types, but I like him that way. Ah, and if any of my OCs seem too Mary Sue-ish for you, please don't hesitate to let me know. _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only! Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**Chapter Five**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

_The little girl walked between her mother and father. The threesome was laughing together, the man smiling lovingly at his family as they strode down the small street. The girl, big brown eyes shining up at her parents, grinned happily and grabbed hands with her parents; a moment later she was shrieking with laughter as the two lifted her up and swung her small body between them. _

_The scene changed abruptly; the girl looked the same, perhaps a little older, and she was sitting at a table eating breakfast. Her mother was chatting with her while putting on an earring to complete her ensemble. The girl laughed at something she heard before turning her cheek to get a kiss from her mother. The woman smiled and said something before waltzing out the door, waving as she went. _

_Mists swirled, and now the little girl was standing in front of a funeral parlor with her father, clutching his hand tightly in hers. Her big, brown eyes were inquisitively searching the window of the building and looking up at her father nervously alternatively; he, however, was staring straight ahead, swallowing hard before reaching out to open the door. _

_The two entered the building together; he stopped to greet a man in a nice suit, talking for a moment before turning to walk into what looked like a small church, pews set up with a large box at the end of the aisle. The father and daughter duo walked over to the box, and he had to lift the brown-haired girl up to look inside. The angle shifted, and a woman could be seen, eyes closed, brown hair lying limply but beautifully on a satin pillow. The girl reached out to touch her mother's hand but was stopped when the man put her down. Pulling her to the nearest pew, he sat down and snatched her into his arms, hugging her tightly as he sobbed. _

_Again the scene changed, and the girl was now much older, in middle school perhaps. She was walking in the front gates of a beautiful and elegant looking set of buildings. Her head held high, she walked straight to a door labeled 'Office' where she entered. Once there, she was directed to a room where other students were already seated at desks. She joined them, waiting for the teacher at the front to pass out a test; when he did, she set to work, filling out answer after answer and completing her test ahead of the others. _

_The mists were swirling, but now they were filled with something...rose petals? Now there were voices, male voices that beckoned her to enter, and she listened to those voices. Something about them was so familiar._

_"Welcome to the Ouran host club! ...What is your type? Wild man? Loli shouta boy? Devil type? Cool type? Or, perhaps... am I more your style?"_

_"Are you really a hero, Haru-chan?" _

_CRASH!_

Emilia startled awake, wondering where the noise had come from. It reminded her of porcelain on marble or something like that, but she couldn't tell where it came from.

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to wake up," came a male voice from the corner of the room.

She glanced over, somewhat surprised, and saw a handsome young man with blond hair and green eyes watching her. He smiled at her and stood up, walking over to take her hand.

"It's good to have you awake again, Miss Emilia," he said, kissing the back of her hand gently.

Feeling disgruntled, she jerked her hand out of his hold, glaring at him before she realized it. "What are you doing?" She asked angrily, not really sure why she was mad. "And who are you?"

"Forgive me, my lady," he said with a faint smile. "I seem to have forgotten your slight problem with memory. My name is Giuseppe, but you may call me Beppe, Miss Emilia." He walked over to a nearby chair, which he dragged to her bedside. Sitting down, he took a moment to study her.

Emilia was struggling to figure out why all of these people seemed so strange to her, but in the midst of her thoughts, she realized something. "Where are you from?" She asked him, feeling sure of her insight. "You have a slightly different accent than Arianne."

Beppe smiled again, looking amused as he answered, "Very good, bella. You noticed the difference that most people ignore. I am Italian, from a small town in Tuscany."

"I thought your accent was different," she admitted before looking confused again. "But then again, the other girl seemed to have a different accent as well." Her brow was knit in concentration. "No, it wasn't so much different...it was...hm. It sounded like she was bringing in an older accent or something. Does that make sense?"

"Which other girl?" He questioned smoothly. His sparkling green eyes narrowed a bit but smoothed quickly when Emilia cocked her head at him. She wondered if she'd only imagined it.

"The girl who was here when I first woke up," she replied truthfully. "There were three of them. I couldn't really see her very clearly because I was still feeling kind of ill, but she sounded a bit off when she spoke with me."

"Oh, you must mean Renge," he said after a moment of contemplation. "Yes, she's been abroad for a while, so her accent must have adapted to her surroundings." He smirked at her before saying, "But I don't think you should mention that to her; it makes her mad when people mention her accent." He gave a small chuckle to add emphasis to his words, but Emilia wasn't paying attention.

Thinking hard, she wondered why she felt such familiarity with the name 'Renge' but not her own. This was becoming almost too much for her, and she wanted to get answers soon. She blinked when Giuseppe waved a hand in her face.

Looking at him, she took a moment to admire the man sitting before her. The blond hair that lay messily about his face was stylish but windswept. His eyes twinkled with mirth as he looked at her. They were clear, deep green, a shade she'd never seen before, or so she figured. And his nose was straight and extremely aristocratic. His lips were full and pink as he smiled at her.

Her gaze traveled down to his broad shoulders upon which a metallic green, button-down shirt sat. It did nothing to hide his filled-out chest. He was wearing dark, stone-washed jeans that sat low on his hips, and his legs seemed to stretch for miles from where they extended at his waist. His feet, she noticed, amused, were bare, and he had carefully manicured toes, no polish, but nicely clipped nails all the same.

Glancing back up, she met mirth-filled eyes as he watched her watching him. Emilia felt a flush come over her face and turned her head away to hide her blush. Before she could control it, however, she gasped when his long-fingered hand reached out to take hold of her chin.

Turning her head to look in her eyes, Beppe smiled gently before saying, "Don't be embarrassed, bella. It's only natural, isn't it? And I don't mind if you want to look at me." He winked, and she could feel her blush blooming nearly out of control. They continued to look one another in the eyes, and she could feel herself becoming very warm.

"Ahem," a voice at the entrance said. Emilia jerked away from him, searching the room until she realized she was looking at the girl, Renge, once more.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Renge said sarcastically, "but I'm afraid you're needed, _Beppe_." And the name was a curse rolling off her tongue. "Arianne will be here in a moment with your dinner, Miss Emilia," she added, casting a longing glance at Emilia.

Beppe sighed and stood, once more taking and kissing Emilia's hand. She noticed this caused Renge to glare at him once more and wondered why.

"I'm sorry to have to leave you, bella," he told her, looking at her with a somewhat heated gaze that surprised her. "I'll be back to speak with you later. Ciao, bella." He winked at her once more before walking to the door, stopping only to take Renge firmly by the arm to walk her out.

After they left, Emilia wondered faintly why it had felt so strange to be with Giuseppe. Her heart had raced, but something in her told her this was wrong. And Emilia wasn't sure she was inclined to distrust her instincts in this situation.

Outside the room, Giuseppe was glaring at Renge. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me," he spat at her, yanking her along behind him without remorse for the curses she threw his direction.

The two walked down a corridor that ended in a grand staircase. Walking down, they entered a large parlor where he practically threw her in a chair. He went and slammed the door shut before advancing on her.

Renge jumped to her feet and glared at the man in front of her. "What?" She tauntingly asked. "Did I interrupt your little moment with _Haruhi_?" She made sure he heard the emphasis on the name.

He continued to stalk her, backing her up until she ran into a wall. He smirked at the faint trace of fear on her face. "I think, my dear," he scoffed, "that we need to have a little talk." Moving back a step, he gestured to the chair she'd been in. "Please, have a seat."

Not sure what to make of this, Renge moved grudgingly back to her chair. She flipped her skirt behind her and sat regally, trying to regain a sense of control. Looking down, she noticed the dress they'd forced on her when she'd arrived. It was much the same as her Ouran uniform except it was blue with a white sash and had no cuffs on her sleeves.

Noticing her assessment, Beppe smirked at her. "Surely you can show a little common courtesy after we took such pains to clothe you and give you food and shelter," he said, looking smug. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Now that I've finally got your attention, we have some things to go over. I'm sure you've noticed by now that _Miss Emilia _has lost her memories. That is, surprisingly enough, an advantage we didn't count on."

Renge felt her heart plummeting at the realization. "What are you going to do to her?" Her voice was strong, but she wondered where he was going with this.

"Well," he said amicably, "we plan to give her new memories since we've been given this golden opportunity. And those memories start with me." He grinned when she threw a hateful look at him. "Don't be like that, bella," he said in a sugary sweet voice. "Besides, you're part of this, too."

Renge didn't like the sound of this. "What do you mean? I'm not doing a thing for you! I've already lied to Haruhi because that witch forced me..." her voice trailed off when he rose quickly, looming ominously over her.

"You will hold your tongue if you know what's good for you," he hissed darkly. She shrank back into her seat, remembering the trip to the estate with fear. Seeing her cower, he smirked once more, and, good humor back in place, said, "As you are already aware, Haruhi is Japanese and therefore does not speak French. Unfortunately, we have only one Japanese-speaking maid at the manor. That's where you come in."

She looked up at him, hoping not to hear what she expected.

"Your job is to be friends with her, not that you already aren't, but all the same, she doesn't remember you either. You will be kind to her and introduce her around the manor; anything I or the others tell her is to be reinforced by you, and if I hear that you've given her any hints of her past, well..." he let the threat trail off as he slashed a finger across his neck in promise.

Seeing her shiver, Beppe knew his threat had been taken to heart. "Now then," he continued, "since you are the only other person who speaks both Japanese and French that will be interacting with her on a daily basis, I suppose you should orient yourself with the manor. She'll be wanting to explore once she gets well." He gave a wry smirk at her annoyed look when he said, "And I'm sure you'll want to help her get her bearings in her new home."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Renge angrily questioned.

"But of course, bella, the answer is simple," he said. "Feel free to explore the manor to your heart's content. We're set too far back into the woods for you to actually escape, and I have no problem with your getting lost in the castle either," he said, grinning at her frustration. "Dinner is served in the back dining room, which is down the hallway and to your right. You'll take your other meals in your room and be expected to visit with Miss Emilia throughout the day. Now I'm going to go speak with my sweet bella, and you can go eat your dinner."

Upon saying this, he stood to leave, looking self-satisfied as he sauntered towards the door. Once he'd left, Renge sat back in her chair and allowed the sobs she'd choked down to erupt. She sat there for a long time, wishing she could speak to Haruhi, yet knowing the girl wouldn't remember her. Finally, she stood and walked to the back dining room, vowing to get her revenge on the cruel people who'd imprisoned her here.

--

Toru moaned in the back of the van he'd been shoved into. It had taken hours to get to wherever it was they'd gone, and he was starving. They hadn't offered him any food, but he was so nauseated from the ride he wouldn't be able to stomach anything anyway.

If anyone had asked him if he was prone to carsickness, he would have said no. Now he knew he was wrong. Being in the back of a moving van while tied up, gagged and blindfolded had proved his stomach simply wasn't as strong as he thought. More than once he'd thought he was going to throw up, especially when the van turned sharp curves or rolled over bumps in the road. It was doubly worse because they hadn't strapped him in this time; he was rolling backwards and forwards in the very back of the van as they stopped and started.

Feeling the brakes again, Toru groaned as his body rolled slightly forward. He hadn't been able to brace himself on anything because he couldn't get his bearings, and the men were driving like lunatics. He was halfway hoping they'd get stopped by a police car, but unfortunately, they hadn't run into any yet.

He had no idea what time it was, and his stomach was growling painfully despite being twisted in knots. Toru wanted nothing more than to stop the van, and he mourned his lack of food since it might have helped his carsickness. Somewhere in the haziness of his food-starved mind, however, he realized the van was stopping. He felt more than heard the clunk of the transmission as the vehicle was put into park.

Hearing the men moving around, he tensed and wondered where they were. The doors in the front opened, and he waited for them to come around to get him as well. When he heard the doors to the back of the van open, Toru waited to feel the hands on him; he grew nervous when nothing happened for several minutes. Not hearing anything, he inclined his head, trying to oust any movement in his blinded state; that was when they grabbed him. He jerked in surprise, uttering a muffled cry, as they laughed at having caught him off-guard.

They carried him off, and he recognized the sound of crunching grass and wondered for the millionth time where they had taken him. Hearing a door open, he realized they were entering a building. They carried him some distance before finally dropping him on the ground somewhere. His hands felt soft carpet as he tried to orient himself in the space.

Before he could do so, however, Toru felt hands pulling him into a kneeling position. He realized the man was moving to take his blindfold off, so he inclined his head anxiously. He was ready to see where the men had taken him.

When he felt the blindfold being removed, he opened his eyes but wasn't prepared for the lack of light in the room. It appeared the men had taken him to yet another dungeon for all he could see around him. A second later and Toru was blinking his eyes as a light went on. When he got his bearings, he looked around and gasped, realizing they'd taken him to his secret place.

The men smiled cruelly at him, seeming to read his thoughts, and Toru wanted to hurt them for taking him to such a special place. He watched as they moved around with ease, walking here and there, moving things to one side or another as if searching for something. He wasn't quite sure what they were doing, but their distraction gave him the opportunity to survey one of his favorite parts of the room: the beautiful teacup display.

He looked at the large glass case that stood prominently in the center of the room. It was built on mahogany wood that shone brilliantly from having been recently polished, and the glass was clear, offering a view of his father's most renowned imports. Toru fondly remembered spending hours gazing into this very case with Kanako as they talked about various things. He could still point out the best cups and name them with pride, but now he wanted to slap the man that was wondering too close to the cherished case.

"What say we just take the stuff and run?" The black-haired man asked his companions. Toru stiffened angrily, barely holding in the urge to ram the man from the back. He steadied his emotions when he remembered the lock on the case; it was made of gold and had only two keys in the world that could open it. He didn't think these brutes intelligent enough to pick the lock.

The brunette slapped the man on the back of the head. "Idiot! You know the rules. Move nothing unless ordered, no stealing, no hurting the merchandise," he growled lowly, turning to throw a pointed glance at Toru, who wondered if he was the merchandise.

"Fine," the other man retorted, looking balefully at his companion. "But we'd better get paid well for going to all this trouble. It's not easy to look at all this loot and be unable to sneak a little bit of it with us."

The blonde now spoke up and ended the conversation with, "You'd be wise to remember how we got into this in the first place. Trifling with any of our clients is not something I'd take lightly." Taking a step closer to the man and looming over him from his massive height, he added, "This is a kidnapping. Not a robbery. We take orders and fill them completely. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, get to work." His low voice was even scarier than the brunette's, Toru thought.

Before he could consider what had been said, the brunette reached out to take him off the ground. Toru allowed himself to go limp. While he couldn't fight back, he wasn't about to make it any easier on them than he had to. Every time they picked him up, he relaxed all his muscles in order to become dead weight that flopped with every jarring movement. He thought it the best he could do to fight the men, especially since he was tied so tightly.

The brunette picked him up with a grunt. Toru was no heavyweight, but he did carry a little more weight than the women the men had kidnapped. Walking over to a nearby door, the man yanked it open to reveal the small dish cabinet that Toru and Kanako had hidden in whenever a maid would pass by during their childhood excursions. He wasn't happy to be thrown into such a tiny space, but Toru wasn't able to complain.

The man sat him down on his knees, and Toru realized worriedly that if he was there for very long, his legs would go to sleep from the strain of having to stay semi-upright. The cabinet that had easily contained two children was incredibly small when it housed a fully grown young man. Toru winced as the man slammed the door on him, leaving him in darkness to listen to the men moving around in the back room.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again, the blonde behind it. He looked down at Toru contemplatively, hands behind his back before turning to a nearby table. Toru was surprised when he came over holding a glass of water. He wanted to get the nasty taste out of his mouth from his carsickness and the disgusting gag.

The blonde carefully removed the gag and put the glass to his lips. Toru recognized it as one of his family's but made no comment; he simply allowed the water to travel down his throat in sweet ecstasy. Before he could finish the drink, however, the blonde removed the cup and held out his other hand, which had been hidden until now.

"You rich folks don't keep much in your cupboards, do you?" He asked while offering Toru a slice of bread.

"It's a summer house," Toru answered as he brought his hands up to allow the blonde to slip the bread between his barely parted fingers. Moving his hands to his mouth, he took a small bite, willing his stomach not to revolt after his long day and even longer night. After swallowing and feeling no ill effects, Toru took another and then another bite, quickly finishing the bread off and wishing for some more.

He glanced up when the shadow over him moved slightly. Looking behind the blonde who was reaching for the cup, Toru saw the other two working on the glass display. He was shocked when he realized they'd gotten it open, and he craned his neck to see what they were doing to it. He was unable to continue watching, though, because the blonde had put the glass back up to his lips. Toru tamped down on the feeling of helplessness and allowed the blonde to tip the glass so he could finish off the water.

Once he was done, the blonde removed the glass and said, "Sorry I can't offer you anything else, but I'm afraid we've got another job to do. Don't worry, though, you'll get out soon." He reached down and patted Toru on the top of the head condescendingly before laughing as he shut the door behind him.

Toru listened to the sounds the men made as they worked, but it wasn't long before they left, leaving the house to silence once more. He sighed, wondering who would be able to find him. Perhaps the caretaker in the morning? No, the man almost never came to work on Wednesdays, he remembered. Now he was stumped. Would they really leave him there for an entire day? His family and Kanako would throw a fit.

Kanako...Toru grimaced painfully behind the gag as he remembered his fiancee. He really needed to get out of here; she was in danger, too. And he realized the men hadn't brought her here, either because the same ones who took her returned for him too quickly to have come all the way to Chiba and then return to Tokyo. Feeling frustrated, Toru wiggled a bit in the confining space.

As he struggled with his bonds, however, he lost his balance and tumbled face first into the door. His knees were slightly behind him, and he was resting on his calves painfully. He could feel the beginnings of carpet burn on his bare legs, but he didn't care. Struggling to move against the door, he realized his position had forced his hands into his chest painfully. He couldn't maneuver in the small space, and so he knelt awkwardly, forehead against the door. Finally resigned to his captivity, Toru forced himself to relax and let his mind wander back to his childhood as he waited for rescue.

--

"I spoke with Ken-san last night," Kanako told the group as they gathered in the Third Music Room the following morning. "I explained that Toru spent the day with me and was too exhausted to come home, so he didn't get suspicious. Then I asked if we could visit his summer home, and since he remembered how much we enjoyed it as children, he agreed to ask the caretaker to open it up to us."

"What happens if the caretaker finds Suzushima-san before we do?" Kyouya carefully questioned. He always covered his bases, and they couldn't afford for word of the kidnapping to reach Suzushima Ken before they found Toru.

"He won't," Kanako assured him. "I asked Ken-san to have him call in a few of the maids to tidy up the upstairs bedrooms and suggested we might stay the night if we were out long enough. So he'll be too busy deciding which rooms to tidy and getting the kitchen stocked."

The group lounged around the Third Music Room in mock idle positions. Everyone could feel the anxious tension that surrounded them, but they were waiting for Yuzuru to return from his work. Because it was a school day, he'd gone to the vice principal to inform him that several of the students would not be in classes because they had signed up for a volunteer project. Included in the group was Haruhi, Reiko, the Hitachiins, Kasanoda, and Renge, he told the man.

It was a very poor explanation for their absences, but for the moment, it was the best they could come up with. They'd already called the Takaoji family to 'remind' them of a project Shiro had been involved in that kept him at school most of the evening and then explained the boy had stayed out to finish the project. While Shiro's father was suspicious of Kyouya's explanation, he hadn't questioned him because of pressing business.

The group sat quietly, Ranka-san with them after taking the day off from work, and none of them spoke. Kanako was thrilled that she would hopefully be seeing her fiance soon, and she kept looking out the window at the limo waiting for them as if she could get to him faster that way. Hideyo had her head in a book but wasn't reading; she was exhausted after having stayed up most of the night making phone calls. The boys were uneasy in her presence, especially when they realized she would have to go home, but they acquiesced when she reminded them of her pledge to help them find Haruhi. She'd been amused; they really didn't trust her, but they weren't sure what to do with her.

The twins sat at the table, staring off into space. Hikaru looked fairly exhausted as well, but Kaoru seemed more rested and peaceful. The younger twin was always able to see the brighter side of any situation, and he felt confident they would be able to find and rescue all of the kidnapping victims including Haruhi.

The door opened, and Kyouya and Tamaki looked up from their places on the couch. They'd been speaking softly to one another, going over the notes and trying to figure out the clues concerning Haruhi. Yuzuru entered and gave them a thumbs-up. The rest of the group stood to leave.

Hunny and Mori led them down the stairs, allowing Yuzuru, Tamaki, and Kyouya to fall behind where they were whispering about something and taking glances at other members of the group. Hideyo knew they were talking about her as she walked next to Kaoru, but she couldn't help feeling that she shouldn't interfere in their plotting right now. They'd suffered a great blow with the loss of Haruhi, and she knew they needed to find the girl soon or else suffer worse consequences. She only wished she didn't have to be a part of everything, but after what she'd found out last night...she shook her head, banishing the thought.

After climbing into the limo. the group settled in for the long ride. It seemed to take ages, and none of them were very talkative. Halfway there, Kanako's stomach growled, and she giggled, embarrassed, while explaining to no one in particular that she hadn't been hungry that morning.

They finally arrived after what seemed to be hours of driving. The group looked out the windows of the limo to see a beautiful drive, littered with flowering trees and winding up to a modest looking mansion. It wasn't nearly as large as any of the hosts' homes, but it was impressive in its own right.

The house was a beautiful red brick structure. A small garden was blooming at the front of the home, just underneath the large, picturesque windows next to the front door. The limo stopped, and the group piled out, following Kanako up to the front door. It was opened before she got to the first step.

"Kasugazaki-san, welcome," the caretaker was saying. He was a short man in his 40s with graying hair and spectacles that looked practically ancient. He smiled at the group behind her. "Suzushima-sama didn't inform me you were bringing friends. And where is the young master?"

"Shin-san," Kanako greeted warmly, pushing past the man to enter the grand foyer. "It's good to see you again. Toru should already be here."

The man looked puzzled. "What do you mean, Kasugazaki-san? I assure you there is no one here besides myself and the maids. I've not seen the young master. Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied, turning to him determinedly. "Shin-san, please have the cook prepare some broth and bread. Toru will probably be needing it soon. And have one of the maids pull out the first aid supplies. We'll get Toru and take him to the sitting room shortly."

With that, she took off down the hallway, practically running in her need to find him safe and sound. The hosts and their allies followed her quickly, knowing she wanted to be the one to find him.

Kanako entered the room, Hideyo and the twins close behind her, and looked around slowly. Nothing seemed out of place. The glass display case was untouched, and the furniture hadn't been moved. She walked around absently touching chairs and tables as she went until her face lit up. By that time, the rest of the group had appeared in the room, Shin-san behind them, looking on nervously.

Marching over to a curtain, she quickly drew it back, revealing a small door. The hosts watched as she put a hand out to grasp the handle. Taking a deep breath, Kanako turned the handle and pulled the door open, jumping back as a bound Toru nearly fell on top of her.

"Oh, Toru!" She exclaimed, kneeling down beside the confused man.

He looked up at her for a moment, taking time to figure out what he was seeing before, "Mmpf!" The gag was still securely in place, and Toru couldn't call out to his love.

She quickly removed the gag. "Kanako! You're all right! I'm so glad...I thought those brutes were going to hurt you or worse," he exclaimed, taking deep breaths and smiling happily.

"Young master!" Shin-san finally exclaimed worriedly. The man had nearly fainted at the sight of the young man falling onto the floor. "Oh, Suzushima-sama is going to have my head for this! What's happened to you, young master? I need to call your father at once!"

So saying the man tried to rush out the door but was stopped when Mori casually stepped in front of the door. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to ask you not to do that right now," Kyouya cooly said to the panicking caretaker. "Everything will be explained shortly, but you must promise not to speak of this to anyone unless Suzushima-san tells you it's all right. It will be up to him to decide, however, so don't make any calls just yet."

Shin-san looked at the young man addressing him and recognized the spark of wealthy authority the man possessed. Knowing he should listen but wanting reassurance, he turned to his young master and relaxed when Toru nodded briefly at him.

"Very well," he replied, "but I need to go get the first aid kit from the maid. I don't need anyone else seeing the state the young master is in."

Kyouya nodded, and Mori moved away from the door, allowing the caretaker to pass. Meanwhile, Kanako and the twins were removing the tape and rope from Toru. As soon as he was free, the couple shared a passionate kiss, which several of the room's occupants respectfully turned away from.

"Now," Toru said once Mori had helped him get settled on the couch, "what's going on? I was kidnapped and just spent a night in a closet. I think I deserve to know what's happening." He couldn't stand just yet because he still hadn't recovered the feeling in his legs, but Toru wasn't about to let this motley crew--sans Kanako, of course--waltz in and free him only to turn around and leave again. He wanted answers.

What he got was a very long story about the kidnappings, which he discovered had happened to more than just himself and his fiancee. Once they'd finished explaining the story and had shown him the notes, Toru found himself facing the same question Kanako had last night. And, like his fiancee, he unfortunately had no clue where the next clue could be.

Throughout this time, Kanako had taken the first aid kit Shin-san provided and cleaned his scraped knees and applied bandages to a few cuts on his arm. Shin-san had entered with the broth and bread and supplied some tea that was calming to the stomach. Toru had eaten little due to his still queasy stomach but was looking better and had more color to his face.

Once again the group was facing a question about the next clue. This time, however, they realized the kidnappers had probably hidden the clue like the last time; it would make sense, Kyouya told them, because it took so much time to locate the clue, thus giving the kidnappers more time to hide their victims. So they went to work, searching out all the hiding places they could find.

Toru watched in silence for a while, taking small slurps of his soup occasionally and eating the bread. Kanako came over to him every few minutes and would touch him, on the shoulder, the arm, the cheek, as if to assure herself that he was still there and okay. He didn't mind, but he was getting worried when it seemed the group was running out of ideas.

He looked at the display in the center of the room and suddenly realized something. "Oh, Kanako!" He exclaimed, remembering that she would know what he was referring to. "Remember our favorite cups?" She looked at him curiously before nodding. "Last night, I caught a glimpse of the men working on the display, and it appeared they had it _open_," he said meaningfully. Her eyes lit up, and she raced to the case, standing carefully with her eyes level to the lock.

"What's going on?" Tamaki asked them, having noticed their excitement. Toru pointed at Kanako, and Tamaki walked over to the case, looking inside and then looking at her.

After a few minutes study, Kanako made an excited noise before saying, "There! I found it!" The group quickly circled the glass case and looked at the white shelves with their beautiful cups suspiciously.

"What are you talking about, Kasugazaki-chan?" Hunny asked as he squirmed into the group beside her. "I don't see anything."

She pointed to the shelf directly in front of her face. "You have to have your eyes level with the top of the shelf and then just look slightly to the left of the Worcester cup there," she said, moving to allow Hunny room to look at what she'd pointed out. "Well?" She asked expectantly as he stared into the case.

"Which one is the Worcester, Kasugazaki-chan?" Hunny asked innocently. He wasn't a master of teacups, after all, and he couldn't tell which was which despite having used various kinds throughout the years.

"It's the blue one with the white flowers, Hunny-kun," she answered immediately.

He nodded and singled out the cup, looking to the left and finally said, "Oh! I see it! There's a white piece of paper in there! It looks like another note!"

"They utilized the white shelves and put the note face down," Kyouya speculated to himself as he jotted something in his notebook. "Well, we'll have to open the case to retrieve it, I suppose."

"That won't be easy without the key," Toru put in, looking pained as he swung his legs to the floor. He grimaced as he tried to put weight on his feet and found them stinging with renewed feeling. "You'll have to get the key for them, Kanako. Do you remember where it's hidden?"

She looked at him and then nodded, leaving the room without a word. No one followed her. They waited with expectant silence for her return and took turns looking into the case to see the note. Now that they knew where it was, it was much easier to distinguish the white paper from the white shelf.

"Here we are," Kanako said as she walked back into the room, Shin-san behind her, wringing his hands nervously. "Now, let's see what this note says." She held up a key and moved toward the door of the case.

Sticking the little, gold key into the lock, Kanako pushed it all the way inside before turning the key expertly. There was an audible click as the lock was opened, and she took the small knob in hand to pull the door open. She tugged a little and then stopped, looking perplexed. Pulling a little harder this time, Kanako finally stopped after a moment's struggle. The group was watching her anxiously.

"Good grief, what now?!" Hikaru finally burst out. He was frustrated enough without this girl having trouble opening a simple display case.

"Um...it's stuck," Kanako finally admitted.

"What?!" Tamaki, the twins, and Toru shouted in unison. Kanako and Hideyo cringed at the sound.

Kanako looked over to her fiance and carefully repeated, "It's stuck. The lock is open, but the door's stuck for some reason."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Hikaru exclaimed loudly. The rest of the group just stood in stunned silence looking at the glass case with the key in the lock. No one knew if this was part of the kidnappers' plots or just a fluke, but whatever the case, they couldn't get to yet another note.

...

_Note on names: For my two minor characters, Suzushima Ken is named after Iwase Ken from Proposal Daisakusen (a shout out to all who saw and loved that drama!), and Shin-san is named after Sawada Shin (my all-time favorite male Gokusen character; too bad he's not back for Gokusen 3!). Everything else is important. Winks mischievously _

_A/N: I'll admit I'm a little stuck on my next chapter. The clue is giving me a difficult time; though a friend gave me a stroke of insight into where I want to go with this, but I can't say that I've got it perfectly together yet. I did want to go ahead and get this out here for you all because you've been so patient. Therefore, I'll be working on the next chapter for a while, but I'm also going to have to work on OSTS as well. It's a toss-up. OSTS is harder for me, but I'm having to be more creative in this one. LOL. Oh well, I promise to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. I've already decided what I want to do with Nekozawa, but Shiro's the one who's giving me trouble. _

_Perhaps I shouldn't have kidnapped all these characters? ...Nah! Anyway, thanks again for the reviews; they make me smile and want to write you all the best possible story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't hesitate to let me know what you think (especially about Beppe, who I personally love for his cruelty...lol). _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I want to apologize to all of you who have been waiting so patiently for an update to my story! I'm sorry for the long wait on this, but I've been in Italy for three and a half weeks doing a study abroad with school and then went to visit relatives up north and didn't have steady Internet. I know that's poor comfort for you who have been waiting, but I did work on this chapter for several hours today, trying to finish it out, and I hope you'll be pleased with the results! Please forgive me for the lapse, and I'll do my best not to repeat this poor performance for the next chapter! I do hope you enjoy this sixth chapter, though._

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**Chapter Six**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

Renge was furious. She spent her first afternoon searching the manor for any and all exits, possible escapes, and, strangely enough, phones. The place was a regular maze of rooms, and while she'd been in large mansions before, this was an actual castle, renovated and expanded over the years to become a beautiful but monstrous home.

With luck, she'd walked into a study on accident. The large, oak desk was polished and bare of the normal papers and files, but it did have an old-fashioned telephone sitting on it. She barely paid attention to the fact the antique complimented the decor.

Picking it up, Renge had immediately dialed the number of the one man she trusted to rescue her. She held her breath a second and was almost relieved when the phone began to ring. Only one ring escaped before she heard the answering click on the other end.

"We're sorry; this phone is not capable of making international calls."

She listened to the nasal French woman repeat the phrase before slamming down the phone in her frustration.

Renge left the office in a towering rage; not only had she psyched herself up to hear the voice of the one she knew could help, but she'd been bitterly disappointed to realize her kidnappers were smart enough to cut international communications. After having ransacked the office for anything that could help her, she'd given up when all the cabinet doors had been firmly locked.

Now, a day later, she sat in her room brooding. She hadn't seen Haruhi since she caught that wretched Beppe flirting with her. Renge had nearly grabbed the nearest vase and thrown it at him, but she knew it would be an unwise decision.

Her kidnappers were giving her the freedom to roam the halls, explore to her heart's content, and even speak with her friend. That was a surprise to her since she had assumed she would be tied and imprisoned somewhere like the others. Remembering her other friends, Renge wondered vaguely if they'd been rescued or toted off to some remote place like herself.

She still didn't know where she was, and it was getting on her nerves. Renge had never been one to back down from a challenge, and she most certainly considered this a challenge. So she got up and made herself presentable enough to roam the halls once more.

Her plans were simple. She would plot the castle and learn every room, even the ones that were locked. Anything that could be to her advantage she would take note of and investigate fully later. Renge wasn't stupid; she knew her kidnappers were likely to be living in a part of the castle she hadn't explored yet, and she wanted to know where they were and more importantly why she and the others had been kidnapped.

Once she knew the castle well enough, Renge vowed, she would find a way out of this horrid place, and Haruhi was coming with her. Unfortunately, Beppe had threatened her if she tried to help Haruhi recover her memories, but Renge wasn't going to let that stop her from befriending her befuddled friend once more. Two heads were better than one, and there was more than one way to let Haruhi know just how much of a captive she was.

Renge smirked grimly as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Today she would search the west side of the castle and try to find clues to her whereabouts. While she knew she was in France, she had no clue what part of France or even where to begin to tell someone to search. That was the only reason she hadn't called her father or the police. Besides, she reasoned, what would stop the kidnappers from tapping any outgoing phone calls? If they had the resources to own and operate such a vast castle, they had the resources to insure she didn't escape that easily.

Opening her door, Renge made a mental checklist of what she needed to accomplish. She decided breakfast was in order before she started her search. Walking down the back stairs to the kitchen, Renge wondered how hard it would be to make friends with the maids. Realizing what a wealth of knowledge they probably were, Renge adapted her initial plans; she would try to befriend the maids and figure out where she was that way.

Whistling as she went, Renge smiled, not a happy smile but one of purpose. She was the type of person who needed a plan, and now that she had one, she was going to accomplish her goals. Stepping into the kitchen, Renge looked around to see who she could speak with. Her eyes lit on Arianne; Renge was in luck! The woman looked to be preparing a tray for Haruhi, and Renge knew she had been ordered to take care of the Japanese visitors.

Walking carefully over to the woman, Renge began to plot out a conversation in her head. Hopefully she'd be able to talk to this blond beauty who was still so ill she could barely carry out her duties. Thinking quickly, Renge reached out to take the wobbling tray from Arianne's arms.

"Let me take this for you," Renge politely offered, holding the tray in her stronger arms.

The woman looked aghast. "I cannot allow you to do such a thing, Renge-sama," Arianne said, using the title her employer had ordered her to use for Renge. "Please let me take the tray to Miss Emilia. I can handle it." She reached out her hands to retrieve the tray.

Renge took a step backwards. "Arianne," she said curiously, "I'd like to help if I can. How about I carry the tray up the stairs and you carry it the rest of the way?" She had to get the woman talking to her somehow.

Arianne considered. Her illness had weakened her considerably, and even though she was loath to allow a guest to do her job, she did have a tendency of spilling things when she was forced to carry heavy items too far.

"All right," she finally acquiesced. "But I'll take the tray as soon as we reach the top of the stairs."

Renge nodded happily. "Of course," she replied courteously, walking out the door, Arianne a step behind her.

They walked slowly, Renge wondering how to begin the conversation she wanted to have. No one had said she couldn't bring up her living arrangements in Japan...or her school mates.

"You know," she began, looking to her side slyly, "I've been living in Japan for the last few years, and it's nice to be back home. But," she continued airily, "I was kind of sad to leave my high school."

"You're in high school?" Arianne asked kindly. The woman had not been informed about the guests' reasons for being at the home, and this worked to Renge's advantage.

"Yes," Renge answered. "I went to a wonderful private school called Ouran Academy."

She felt more than saw Arianne stop abruptly, looking at her with wide eyes as she turned. "Ouran, did you say?" Arianne asked timidly, a strange light shining in her eyes.

Renge cheered inwardly. Success! Now how should she get Arianne to trust her enough to help her out?

--

"This is ridiculous," Tamaki exasperatedly exclaimed. "We should just break the glass and get the blasted note!"

"Calm down, Tamaki," Kyouya said, not looking at his friend as he studied the display case. It had taken only a few minutes to see what the problem was.

The kidnappers had created an internal latch on the inside of the glass doors that stopped anyone from opening it from the outside. It appeared that the door would lock once it was closed, and the lock itself was the same mechanism used in the door but visible from the other sides of the case. Unfortunately, the case had a 'seamless' quality built in that made the door close and almost seal shut, leaving no gaps into which one could lift the small metal piece that blocked the door from opening.

Now Kyouya and Toru were circling the case slowly, examining it from all sides as the rest watched. The twins had already been ushered out of the room when Hikaru nearly smashed his fist through the glass in anger. They were eating lunch in the dining room with Hideyo and the cousins. Ranka-san was watching the group dispassionately. It seemed his daughter's kidnapping had the adverse effect of taking the fight right out of the okama.

Yuzuru was sitting with Tamaki, who was admittedly furious over this latest set-back. The chairman had made several calls to different people including the Nekozawas, futilely making up excuses as to the absences of several of Ouran's current and former students. Yuzuru was more worried about finding the rest of his students because he knew their parents would not understand the kidnappings should word of the news leak.

"Well, Suzushima-san," Kyouya finally said, "what do you propose we do?" He was anxious. While he wanted to find the rest of the kidnapping victims, he also had more reason to worry than his friends.

Toru was torn. He could allow the hosts to break the display case his father owned, or he could insist they bring in another party to assess the situation. That would cause greater risk of discovery and make things more difficult on the hosts, who didn't need anyone butting in and screwing things up. However, breaking the case would anger his father, and besides, he risked harming the famous imports that his father prized if something went wrong.

"Young master," Shin-san's hesitant voice gave him pause as he looked to the door. "I might have a solution to your problem."

Toru glanced at Shin-san's hands, noting the tool he held. "Yes," he answered impatiently, "what is it?"

The caretaker held up the shiny object. "It's a glass cutter. You can use it to make an incision big enough to reach in and open the case. We can always replace the glass, Young Master."

Tamaki jumped up and nearly yelled, "Why didn't you mention that before?!"

"I only just thought of it, Suou-san," Shin replied calmly. "And I had to search for it before I could suggest this solution."

"Do you think you could make the incision without harming the cups?" Kyouya cut in, having discerned Toru's dilemma.

"I'm not sure, Ootori-sama," Shin-san replied, looking a bit nervous at the prospect.

"He might not be able to, but I can," Kaoru said as he walked into the room, followed by Hideyo and Hikaru. The younger twin walked over to the caretaker and took the device from him, going confidently to the display case. He examined it a moment before deciding where to start cutting.

Kanako walked in from the bathroom and stood next to Toru, noticing his anxious face. She put her hand in his and squeezed gently; he looked down at her and smiled nervously, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead as her turned to watch the Hitachiin twin work.

"Don't worry," Hikaru said casually, noticing the anxiety on both Toru's and Shin-san's faces. "Kaoru is a pro at this kind of thing; he's been working with Mother on her designs for years, and he's better with a knife than anyone I know."

Hideyo smirked at the irony in that statement but hid it quickly when she caught Kyouya watching her. She really enjoyed her lunch with the twins, and she'd found it amusing when Hikaru almost broke the display case earlier. Now she watched fascinated as Kaoru made a small, circular incision in the glass.

The hole was cut right next to the lock on the inside of the door, and Kaoru purposefully made it large enough only for his index finger to fit. Once he'd finished, he calmly poked at the cut glass, causing it to fall with a thump onto the shelf. It missed hitting the Foley by an inch. Toru and Shin sighed with relief.

As the key was still in the lock, Kaoru casually slipped his finger in the hole and lifted the piece of metal keeping the door shut. He pulled the door with his finger still in the small hole and smirked in satisfaction when it easily opened under his prying fingers. Reaching inside, he plucked the note off the shelf and handed it to Tamaki without saying a word.

The group circled the former host and watched as he flipped the paper over, revealing black ink instead of blood this time. In the same block-style letters, the note addressed 'Tamaki and Company,' another new item. While they wondered what had changed, they anxiously watched Tamaki pull the tape off the note.

Yet another surprise awaited them. For once they could read some of the clue in plain text, not backwards and not otherwise altered. Though it was very different from what they expected. Tamaki scanned the note and then slowly passed it on, waiting til it reached the last person, Kyouya, who looked ready to solve yet another mystery.

The note read:

_Nwo ruoy no seulc ym evlos ot diputs oot eruoy wonk I. Pleh eht deen lluoy...ikamat, kcul doog. Emag eht esol ro, tuo ti erugif dna rehtegot ti tup. Owt ro elddir a dna eulc ym ta og a evah. Orihs, tarb eht dnif ot tnaw lluoy emussa I won. Og ot xis, nwod owt. Kcart thgir eht no eruoy; ikamat, enod llew. _

_...Siht ot rewsna eht seod tahw_

_Siht em llet, dik eht dnif ot:_

_"Four jolly men sat down to play;_

_And played all night till break of day;_

_They played for money and not for fun,_

_With separate scores for every one. _

_Yet when they came to square accounts,_

_They all had made quite fair amounts!_

_Can you the paradox explain?_

_If no one lost, how could all gain?"_

_...siht ot rewsna eht htiw od ot evah..._

_"I'm light as a feather; yet the strongest man can't hold me for much more than a minute. What am I?"_

_Suous, siht em elddir, won--_

_"No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?" _

_Noitanitsed txen ruoy evah lluoy dna, rehtegot seulc eht tup. _

_Uoy rof dah evah thgim I tcepser elttil tahw esol em sekam esuac ruoy ot smitciv derevocer eht gnitiurcer sa llew sa uoy gnipleh sdneirf suolucidir dna rehtaf citoidi ruoy evah ot. Ekatrednu ot desoppus erew uoy taht erutnev etavirp a, lla retfa, si siht. Ihurah ruoy dnif pleh ot elpoep fo tnuoma egral a hcus yolpme ot uoy detcepxe reven I, naem yeht tahw tuo erugif ot ssel hcum, seulc ym evlos ot yticapac niarb eht ylraen evah tnod uoy wonk I elihw. Uous, uoy ni detnioppasid mi._

_Dik eht dnif uoy ecno lrig eht tuoba eulc rehtona evah lluoy. Gnol oot rof gnireffus fles elttil, gnilevins ruoy ees ot dnats tnac I, uous, yrrow tnod tub. Orihs roop rof hcraes uoy sa seciuj ruoy ni wets uoy tel lli. Emit siht ton. Eno tseraed ruoy fo stuobaerehw eht tuoba eulc rehtona uoy evael ot ton dediced evi, taht fo esuaceb._

_Have fun searching, Suous... and unlikely company members!_

Skimming the note, Kyouya immediately pulled out his ever-present notebook and began to jot down a few things. A few minutes later, he ripped the page out and handed it to Tamaki.

"These are riddles," he said cooly, "presumably to help us find Shiro. You all work on solving the riddles while I translate the note."

Toru stopped the black-haired young man from finishing his task by saying, "Please, let's work on this in the sitting room. I'll have Shin-san bring in some paper for us to use, and we can sit around the table."

Kyouya nodded curtly, and they moved into the room. Shin brought the paper, and for a few minutes, Tamaki and the twins set about making copies to hand out. Once they'd completed this task, they handed papers out to Toru and Kanako, sitting on the love seat with Shin shadowing them from behind, Yuzuru who sat next to Ranka-san on the couch, and Hunny and Mori who were seated by the large fireplace. The last two copies were sat on the table with Tamaki and Hikaru on one side and Kaoru and Hideyo on the other side.

"All right," Tamaki began, "let's work on these as groups. Hikaru and I will work on solving the first. Kaoru and Hideyo, you two can work on the second. Hunny and Mori, you take the third one. The rest of you can work on whichever ones make the most sense to you. Whenever anyone has figured one of the riddles out, let the rest of us know; it might help us figure out the other riddles."

So saying, Tamaki turned back to his paper and began working in earnest. Muffled questions and comments floated throughout the room with everyone working to solve the riddles. Kyouya even joined the cousins once he finished working on his translation.

Fifteen minutes passed before Hunny finally said, "I think I've figured it out!" Everyone turned to look his direction as he continued, "'No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?' It's got to be a secret!"

"That's it, Hunny-senpai!" Tamaki crowed triumphantly. He smiled broadly as he looked at the rest of his company and then said, "Well, we've got one riddle figured out, so now let's work on the rest of them!"

"Excuse me, Tamaki," Kyouya broke in smoothly, "but I think it would be better for you to at least read the beginning of the letter before working on the rest of the riddles. It might give you an idea of what to look for."

Giving Kyouya the go-ahead, Tamaki and the rest of the group sat back as Kyouya read the translated note aloud, explaining where the riddles fell as he did so. The translated note read:

_Well done, Tamaki; you're on the right track. Two down, six to go. Now I assume you'll want to find the brat, Shiro. Have a go at my clue and a riddle or two. Put it together and figure it out, or lose the game. Good luck, Tamaki...you'll need the help. I know you're too stupid to solve my clues on your own._

_To find the kid, tell me this:_

_What does the answer to this..._

_Insert First Riddle_

_...have to do with the answer to this..._

_Insert Second Riddle_

_Now, riddle me this, Suous--_

"And that's where the third riddle comes in," Kyouya finished, looking up from his notebook. "Now we need to figure out the answers to the other riddles while keeping in mind the answer to this last one." He stopped talking to make some notes in his book before handing the translated note to Tamaki to read later.

The groups went back to figuring out riddles, Hunny and Mori working on the second one while Kyouya continued to jot in his black book.

Suddenly Tamaki grabbed the page in front of him and stood, causing Hikaru to call out abruptly at the change. The rest of the friends just sat quietly as they watched the now pacing ex-host.

"'They played for money and not for fun, with separate scores for everyone,'" he half-muttered to himself as he walked. "'If no one lost, how could all gain?' 'If no one lost...'" Tamaki paused in his mutterings, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he shouted, "They were musicians! Of course, they were playing in an orchestra together!"

Hikaru grinned and said, "Well done, milord! You figured it out!"

But Kanako quickly asked, "What does an orchestra have to do with secrets?"

They turned silent once more until Hideyo pointed out, "Well, we'll know a little more once we figure out the second clue, won't we?" This made them more confident, and they quickly got back to work on the second and final clue.

"What have you all figured out so far?" Yuzuru asked Hideyo and Kaoru, who had been working on the clue the longest.

"Not much," Kaoru admitted. "We were confused by the idea that the strongest man couldn't hold something as light as a feather."

Hideyo chimed in, "But now we know that it must have something to do with an orchestra, right? So it should narrow down our choices."

Hikaru now said, "Could it have something to do with one of the instruments? Like a piece off of a trumpet or something?"

Mori replied, "A string from a violin?"

Silence descended as the group began to think about the new possibilities opened by considering the riddle in light of the orchestra answer of the other riddle. For a few minutes, they tried to think of what the answer could be, but it seemed no one could figure it out.

Kyouya sighed in exasperation after the silence had extended a full five minutes. "What is...?"

He trailed off when Kanako let out a loud exclamation. "That's it!" She nearly shouted, startling the shadow king into nearly jumping. She grinned at Kyouya before saying, "What did you just do?"

"I started to ask a question," the perturbed young man replied, looking slightly annoyed.

"No, no, not that, before that," she said. "What did you do before that?" He looked at her, face blank, not sure what she was getting at.

"He sighed?" Toru asked hesitantly, wondering if his fiance had gone off the deep end.

"That's right," Kanako said triumphantly. "What do all musicians need that's light as a feather but impossible to hold?" When no one voiced an answer, she said, "Breath! You need breath to breathe into a trumpet or a flute, but you can't physically hold breath in the palm of your hands, and you can't hold your breath for very long!"

Dawning realization broke onto the faces of the small group as they realized what she was saying. Then Tamaki began smiling as he now had something to work with.

"All right, let's try to piece this together," Yuzuru now said. "Everyone else has been hidden somewhere that pertained to them in some way. So these clues pertain specifically to Shiro. What do they have to do with one another, and what can that tell us about where he could be hidden?"

"Well," Kaoru said logically, "Shiro was a pianist, right? And orchestras have pianists, don't they?"

"No," Tamaki replied, not looking at the twin but staring into space as he thought aloud, "orchestra's don't have pianists, but all the men were musicians, and that's what a pianist is. I think that's what the kidnapper was getting at when he put that clue in."

Hikaru looked slightly affronted that the lord had rebuked his twin but then got a surprised look on his face and asked, "But what does breath have to do with a pianist?"

"I don't know," Hunny replied, looking puzzled as he continued, "but I'm just trying to figure out what a secret could have to do with an orchestra. Are there any secret orchestras, Takashi?"

"I wouldn't know," Mori told his cousin solemnly, rereading the answers he had scribbled onto their piece of paper.

Kyouya was obviously frustrated. He paced the room with his notebook in hand, eyes narrowed behind his glasses; then he stopped and said abruptly, "I think one of our answers is wrong. We should have been able to figure this out easier."

"Why do you say that, mon ami?" Tamaki asked in genuine confusion.

"With the first note, we knew exactly where we were going to find Kasugazaki-san, right?" Kyouya asked, waiting for Tamaki's nod. "And when we got the note about Toru, Kasugazaki-san was able to figure out the clue because it referred to both her and Toru, correct?" Another nod answered him. "Well, Shiro's clue should technically be the same. We should be able to put the clues together, and because we haven't done that, I think something is wrong."

"You think we've missed one of the riddle's answers," Hideyo mused, looking down at the paper in front of her and Kaoru speculatively. "Well, I don't know which one could be wrong. I don't think it would be the first one because Tamaki-san's answer fits so appropriately."

Kaoru nodded, smiling encouragingly at Hideyo. "That's right, Hideyo-san," he praised, surprising some of those present and the girl in question with his more familiar title for her. "But I also think we should re-think the other two riddles just in case."

"What if it's the third riddle?" Ranka suddenly said, speaking for the first time in hours. The group looked at him, Kyouya and Tamaki nodding for him to continue. "I just remembered having heard that riddle before," he went on, "but the answer was different."

"It was?" Toru asked, feeling surprised. He and Kanako had both worked on the riddle and thought they'd figured it out when Hunny called out his answer. It didn't make sense because the answer 'secret' was so perfect.

The group sat quietly again, considering what Ranka had said. Some of them, the twins and Toru specifically, were beginning to wonder if Ranka was losing it. He'd been so shell-shocked with the loss of Haruhi and had simply gone silent, not speaking to anyone. It made them worry that he'd lost part of his sanity with the loss of his remaining family member.

"'No sooner spoken than broken,'" Ranka abruptly read from the paper he'd taken from Yuzuru. "Could it be silence?"

The former hosts stared at him for a moment before Hunny said, with a boyish lilt to his voice, "That's got to be it! You break the silence as soon as you say the word, right, Takashi?"

When the gentle giant nodded to his cousin, the rest of the group broke out into smiles at the simplicity of such an answer. Kyouya immediately jotted down the answer into his notebook, scratching out the previous one. Now they began to look at the answer differently, trying to come up with some connection between the idea of an orchestra or musicians, breath, and silence.

Some time passed as they worked, murmuring one to another as they tried to put the three ideas together. Before long, Shin-san left to bring back more refreshments as it had passed 2 p.m. The group indulged in a bit of tea and water before trying to puzzle together the clues once more.

Finally Tamaki stood up once more to walk around the room. "I don't understand," he said aloud to no one in particular. "What could silence have to do with musicians? It takes breath to break the silence, obviously, but..." He broke off at that thought, looking as if he were wracking his brain for some sliver that eluded him.

"Tama," Yuzuru called, breaking his son's concentration. "We went to something last year, didn't we? Some sort of concert?" The man had a similar expression to his son's, as if he were coming up with the same conclusion.

Tamaki's face cleared as if by magic as he excitedly replied, "Yes! Remember, Father? We went to the benefit concert at the colosseum last year! It was called... 'Strike the Silence' remember?"

"And the orchestra was handpicked among the elite of Japan's music schools!" Yuzuru chimed in with glee, having pieced together the clues just like his son. "That's got to be it!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Hikaru interrupted the celebrating father and son. "What are you talking about?"

Tamaki calmed enough to explain, "'Strike the Silence' is an annual concert with an orchestra made up of talented musicians across Japan that benefits those suffering from abusive situations. They call it that because they want to get back at the abuse by giving a voice to those who are too afraid to say anything about their situations."

"The organization," Yuzuru continued for his son, "allows students at music universities to audition for an opportunity to play at the benefit. Those who receive a position in the orchestra are lauded both for their charity as they work voluntarily and for their musical ability as the auditions are incredibly difficult to pass."

Kyouya smirked as he brought up a piece of information the group did not realize, "And, did you know that Shiro has an older sister?" Tamaki and Yuzuru nodded, surprised. "She went to an elitist music academy as a child where she played clarinet; then she went on to play in Tokyo's finest music university. Last year she tried out for and was accepted to the 'Strike the Silence' orchestra. To top it off, her name is Shizuka."

The group was stunned at this realization.

"Quiet," Hideyo breathed, echoing the understandings of the rest of them.

Kaoru looked skeptically at Kyouya as he said, "If you knew all of that about the Takaojis, Kyouya-senpai, why couldn't you figure out what was going on with the riddles?"

Kyouya smirked once more as he replied, "It wasn't my place to figure out the riddles this time."

"What?!" Hikaru nearly shouted at the shadow king. "What on earth are you talking about, Kyouya-senpai?"

The black-haired young man scowled at the accusation in his friend's eyes. "Don't misunderstand me, Hikaru," he said. "When we received notification of the people who were kidnapped, I did some extensive background checks on them and their families and compiled information concerning each one. With the Takaojis, there are four children, each of whom has been a distinguished musician in many different capacities, so I didn't know where to begin digging for my information with these clues. But when Tamaki said the name of the benefit, I remembered the older sister's achievement and decided to mention it."

The twins nodded at this, understanding what lengths Kyouya must have gone through to get the information and how quickly he'd worked since they'd only been searching for less than two days.

"I assume this means Shiro is hidden somewhere in the colosseum then," Yuzuru now said, looking at his son significantly. "We'll need to hurry if we want to find him today."

Hideyo stood, realizing how large a place the colosseum was, and she saw that the rest of the group, Toru and Kanako included, were standing as well.

After some deliberation during which Toru maintained his desire to help find the rest of the kidnapping victims and Kanako insisted on going with them, the group split in two, one half going in the Suou limo, and the other heading for the Suzushima limo. They planned on going straight from Chiba to downtown Tokyo where the colosseum was being prepared for the March event. Strangely enough, February was one of the quiet months when the colosseum wasn't regularly scheduled to hold events, and that made it an even more convenient place to hide a young boy.

The group settled into the Suou limo included Tamaki, Kyouya, Yuzuru, Ranka, Hunny, and Mori. Hideyo had opted to ride with Toru and Kanako, and the twins ended up following them to make the split more even. Hideyo's plan to separate herself from the calculating and suspicious gazes of Kyouya, Hunny, and Mori worked rather nicely, and she ended up in the same car as the twins she'd been enjoying getting to know again.

On the road in the Suou limo, the conversation was muted, filled with long pauses. Ranka had gone back to being quiet, but Yuzuru was working on getting the other father to open up and had been trying to engage him in conversation.

Suddenly Tamaki's cell phone rang. The blonde young man snatched at the phone, yanking it viciously from his pocket. "Hello?" He panted, eyes wide as he waited to hear who was on the other end of the phone.

"Suou?" The rough voice crackled through the earpiece, causing a crestfallen look to appear on Tamaki's face.

"Yes," he replied cautiously, "this is Suou Tamaki. Who is this?"

"Kasanoda," the reply came. "Kasanoda Ritsu. Tamaki, what the heck is going on here?!"

Tamaki surveyed the others in the car with him, his eyes landing on his mon ami grimly as he answered, "Kasanoda-kun, is it really you?"

--

Renge crept down the hall quietly, trying not to be noticed by the maid exiting the lighted room. It had taken her most of the day and one too many glorious stories about Tamaki's childhood to convince Arianne that she wanted to be friends, and now she had wandered, once again, into a new part of the manor. Hearing raised voices, she'd followed the sound until she came to the corner. As the maid headed her way, she ducked into a nearby room, which she vaguely recognized as a rather lived-in bedroom, emerging only after the maids heels could no longer be heard clicking down the hall.

Creeping closer to the open door ahead, she strained to listen to the conversation taking place inside.

"But bella, you must listen to me," Beppe's voice came, lilting and suave as always. Renge detested the man for his sick and twisted ideas about Haruhi.

"Don't you dare call me bella, you traitor," an angry feminine voice assaulted her, high-pitched and wavering. "I won't stand for it."

Beppe's designer shoes clod over the floor as he said with an amused voice, "But you're my bella, and I want to call you that."

"Absolutely not," the high-pitch rose in fervor as heels clacked furiously over the wood floors. "If you're calling that girl 'bella,' I'll have nothing to do with that name! How dare you give her such a nickname after you've used the same for me!"

Renge would have laughed at such a ridiculous cause for outrage if she weren't so interested in the fight at hand.

Beppe sighed, his voice deepening when he said, "I'm sorry. How was I to know that witch was going to force me into this? If that stupid girl hadn't lost her memory, I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place, and you know it!"

Now Renge was beyond curious, listening to a conversation that could tell her what was going on with her friend and her frustrating captors. She was surprised at how angry Beppe seemed with his situation, but she wasn't sure if that wasn't just an act as well.

"I don't like it," the woman said. "I don't like it at all. How could she force us to do this when she knows we're...?" She trailed off uncertainly.

"Oh, bella, don't," Beppe said sweetly, and Renge could hear him closing in on the place she'd last heard the woman stalk to. "Please don't do this to us. After this is all over, we can go back to the way things used to be. But right now, we have to do as she says or else we'll be in greater trouble than we were before she forced us into this charade."

"She's just a bitter old woman," the woman now complained. "Why can't she just go off and die in peace? It's not like she's gaining anything from this. And I can't stand her. Why can't we just run away together, Beppe?"

"You know why, bella. We can't run away because we'd be ruined for good," he now said, sounding angry and tired. "We're stuck, and I have to seduce the fool girl who lost her memory in the middle of that ridiculous kidnapping. This wouldn't have happened if she hadn't done that, and we'd be able to be together in front of her."

"Wouldn't that be nice?" The woman simpered, obviously trying to push her claim on Beppe, Renge noted.

"You were the one who wanted to flaunt our relationship to her," Beppe said calmly. "I never knew why, but you did."

The woman sighed loudly before saying, "And now look what happened! You have to bloody seduce the little pretender!"

"But what about Renge?" Beppe quickly asked, halting the rising emotions of the woman. Renge tensed. "She might be able to trigger Haruhi's memories, and then we wouldn't have to play this game."

"You know what she said," the woman replied with a huff. "If Haruhi regains her memories, we'll be held responsible, and Renge will be removed permanently. Apparently there's some other reason for her ordering Renge to be brought here, something about another heir..."

Renge didn't stay to hear anymore. Heart pounding, she walked quickly but silently back down the hall she'd come from. Her mind was a muddled mess as she walked. No one was supposed to know about that, so who had kidnapped her? And how did her kidnapper know so much about her and the arrangements made for her?

Realizing the kidnapper must know even more than she originally thought, Renge now became horrified to find that she was not the only one in danger. Understanding dawned, and Renge wondered if she could try to bring back her friend's memories when she risked not only her life but someone else who was dear to her as well. Feeling frustrated and scared, she returned to her room and eventually fell into a fitful, fleeting sleep.

...

_A/N: Well, that was an interesting chapter to write. It turned out differently than I planned it (probably because it took so long for me to write it), but I like the end result. I know, I know... I left a couple lovely cliff hangers for you all in the forms of Kasanoda and Renge's discovery towards the end. I hope you'll enjoy trying to puzzle those out, especially the Kasanoda bit. Ah, and I just remembered the other bit about Shiro's sister Shizuka... did you get that? Or did you not understand what I meant with her name? Let me know! _

_I'll be responding to reviews tonight, but I want to go ahead and say that if I miss your review, please forgive me. It's been a while since I've been around to respond to reviews, so I can't remember which ones I've previously responded to! And I do appreciate all the reviews I get and can't wait to see your reactions to this newest development. _

_I apologize again for the lateness of this update and hope you all will bear with me. I'll definitely continue to write, so don't fear that I'm abandoning my story. I will not do that because I want to finish this story, if only for my own sake. Please keep the reviews coming as they inspire me to write more, and I do hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again for the support, and I'll be looking forward to your feedback!_

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Here it is! Chapter seven for your viewing pleasure! I hope you're all excited and have come up with tons of theories about Kasanoda's sudden calls while you waited for this chapter! I've officially started classes again, so updates might be slow in coming, but never fear, they'll still come. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**Chapter Seven**

By: Rae

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

_I'm disappointed in you, Suou. While I know you don't have nearly the brain capacity to solve my clues, much less to figure out what they mean, I never expected you to employ such a large amount of people to help find your Haruhi. This is, after all, a private venture that you were supposed to undertake. To have your idiotic father and ridiculous friends helping you as well as recruiting the recovered victims to your cause makes me lose what little respect I might have had for you. _

_Because of that, I've decided not to leave you another clue about the whereabouts of your dearest one. Not this time. I'll let you stew in your juices as you search for poor Shiro. But don't worry, Suou, I can't stand to see your sniveling, little self suffering for too long. You'll have another clue about the girl once you find the kid._

_Have fun searching, Suous... and unlikely company members!_

"How dare they!" Yuzuru contemptuously spat as he finished reading the end of the note Kyouya had translated. "These people are playing with fire, and I won't let them insult my family this way."

Kyouya looked dispassionately at the older man as he replied, "With all due respect, Suou-san, I have to say that the kidnappers must know the Host Club very well to have planned out with such exacting steps each person, each place, each clue. We are up against someone who knows us and knows how we think. Why else do you think we were warned not to involve the police? That even excludes my own special forces as they are partially employed by the government in times of crisis."

"Do you think the person who did this is someone we know, Kyo-chan?" Hunny asked, eyes narrowing fiercely as he thought of what kind of person would want to hurt them.

"I've been doing some research on the people who were kidnapped, and the only things that truly link everyone are the host club and the help we've given them," Kyouya said. "Only I think there's more to it than that. There's a problem with thinking that the Host Club itself is being targeted."

"Tamaki," Mori said, solemn eyes coming to rest on the young man who was still on the phone.

"Exactly, Mori-senpai," Kyouya said, nodding his approval at the gentle giant's insight.

Yuzuru honed in on the connection to his son, eyes widening slightly before he asked, "What do you mean, Kyouya? What does Tamaki have to do with this?"

"I can't say for certain, but Tamaki has always been at the center of the club as the founder and president," he replied. "And to top it off, Haruhi, who came in at the beginning of the change in the club. I think that Tamaki's and Haruhi's relationship is what is at the center of this. If you'll recall," Kyouya paused a moment when Tamaki's voice raised in something like exasperation or fear. Then he repeated, glancing at the cousins, "If you'll recall, the progression went down the line of people kidnapped, gaining in momentum and strength from when we originally helped Toru-san and Kasugazaki-san with their relationship on to the others."

"But Kyo-chan, that doesn't account for Renge, does it?" Hunny asked, looking at Kyouya with shrewd eyes. "She came in before we even met most of these people, so what is her connection to all of this?"

"I believe, Hunny-senpai," the young man answered evenly, "that Renge is related to this through the same means as Reiko and Haruhi."

Hunny's eyes grew wide as he took in the implications of this statement. The former host had grown in stature and wisdom after graduation, and his first impression of this news was a shared look of surprise and understanding with his cousin. Both Hunny and Mori knew what this meant for all the hosts involved and wondered at how this would inevitably raise the stakes.

Meanwhile, Tamaki had been having a conversation with the kidnapped Kasanoda that caused him to react in violent fear, knowing what the situation could mean for himself and for Haruhi.

_"Kasanoda? Is it really you?" Tamaki asked, voice shaking with unease._

_"Yeah, Tamaki, it's me," Kasanoda's tired voice trailed over the speaker. "I want to know what's going on. After I got kidnapped, I saw all these people from Ouran, and I know something's wrong. You've got to tell me what's happening now."_

_Tamaki took a deep breath and then said, "Please tell me one thing, Kasanoda-kun. What happened to you that you are calling me now? I already knew you were kidnapped, so how did you escape?"_

_"What do you mean you already knew?! I was in that blasted shed thing for hours, and you knew I was kidnapped!" Kasanoda's enraged voice filled the speakers, and Tamaki pulled the cell away from the volume. "Look, Tamaki, I'm only calling because I'm worried about the others. There were... I don't know how many there were actually, something like six of us, and we were stuck down there until they started taking people one by one," he finally said with a calmer voice. _

_"Is anyone with you?" Tamaki now asked, realizing they might not have to rescue everyone on their list now. "And how did you get out?"_

_Kasanoda sighed over the phone before answering, "After I woke up from being knocked out, I sat there and watched these big goons take away the Ouran kids every hour. I was waiting for my turn when I heard this big commotion outside. It was like all sorts of explosions were going off at once or something, and all of a sudden, two men came flying into the room. Only Reiko and I were left, and the men looked like they'd been in a war."_

_Taking a breath, he paused a moment before saying, "Then another man was shoved into the room, and all I could do was try to move in front of poor Reiko. Man, she was white as a sheet, and I was scared, too. Then I saw Tetsuya running into the room with a few of my men behind him, and they knocked the other guys out before coming over to let us go."_

_"I don't understand," Tamaki said, brows knit in concentration, "how your men knew where you were. And if they knew where you were, why didn't they rescue you sooner?"_

_"Well, Tetsuya and the guys followed me when I was kidnapped," Kasanoda said. "I wasn't far from home, and one of the men saw me getting beat up, but because there were so many men surrounding me he ran back to the compound to get the others for help. By the time they got there, they had a few seconds to see this van tearing out of the area. So they grabbed a car and ran off after the van. They said it was an awful chase once those idiots knew they were being followed." _

_"Your men followed them; that's incredible," the former host breathed, feeling varying emotions well within him. _

_"Yeah, and it wasn't easy," Kasanoda rejoined. "They lost sight of the van and had to regroup, sending out different guys in cars to figure out where I was taken. But then one of the cars got lucky, I guess, and he saw the van right before it pulled into this private drive that was all stuck in the middle of nowhere. It's a fortress, man, with locked gates and this crazy mansion and everything. And these goons were just living like kings in their ridiculous house while they did this job!"_

_"A mansion..." Tamaki mused, wondering why this bothered him. "So what happened next, Kasanoda-kun?" _

_"Tetsuya grouped all the men to make a break in," Kasanoda answered, "but then the van came tearing out of the driveway, and they had to hide. After they called for reinforcements, Tetsuya made a plan for getting into the compound, and they followed the van in the gate when it returned. Apparently the gate was mechanical, and no one seemed to notice them running into the yard after the van came through, and there were no lights or nothing. So they got in and then they had to find this place, and it's back in the middle of these wild woods, Tamaki."_

_A coughing fit overcame him then, and Tamaki sat back in his seat digesting all the information he'd received. Thinking about it, he now knew they wouldn't have to find the last two kidnapping victims because they'd been rescued ahead of time. It was obvious the men who'd kidnapped them hadn't finished their jobs, because Tamaki assumed each person had been taken to a different place based on what Toru and Kanako had told him. _

_With Kasanoda's new information, Tamaki knew they had a place to start looking for information. And if the Kasanoda family had left any survivors--Tamaki shuddered with the impact of that thought--they would be leaving valuable witnesses for the hosts to question. Perhaps he could figure out who had hired them and find the kidnapper! Or even get Haruhi's location! _

_"Sorry about that, Tamaki," Kasanoda said as he cleared his throat._

_"It's fine, Kasanoda," Tamaki replied. "Please continue with your story."_

_"When Tetsuya finally figured out a plan, they'd already taken the rest of the people," Kasanoda continued. "They untied us and took off those awful gags, and we were able to tell them our stories. Now we're sitting here at this mansion, and one of the goons told us not to call the police, that you would know what was going on." _

_Tamaki was floored at that. He carefully asked, "They knew my name? And they told you I could tell you what was going on?" That explained a bit of the hostility he'd heard in Kasanoda's voice originally at least._

_"Yeah," the other man replied roughly. "The guy who talked to us said they were hired under the stipulation that if they were found out in any way, they would direct whoever found them to you. Do you know what this is all about?"_

_Tamaki sighed and took a deep breath before telling Kasanoda, "Look, this will take a while, and I need to talk to Kyouya and the rest of the host club. But Kasanoda-kun, I'm not behind these kidnappings. I and the host club have been searching for all of the people who were kidnapped, and we're on our way to find Shiro now." _

_"The kid?" Kasanoda asked, sounding surprised._

_"Yes," Tamaki replied, feeling quite tired as he realized how little time had truly passed. "We've already found Kasugazaki-san and Suzushima-san; now we only have Shiro, Nekozawa, Renge-chan, and Haruhi."_

_"Haruhi?!" The shocked sound of Kasanoda's voice made Tamaki realize Kasanoda didn't know about the last kidnapping._

_Tamaki sighed once more before saying, "Listen, Kasanoda-kun, I need to talk to Kyouya about your escape because this might become a problem if I ever want to find Haruhi."_

_"All right, Tamaki," Kasanoda replied. "Talk to the host club and let me know what you come up with. We'll keep these annoying goons here."_

Tamaki closed his cell phone with a decided snap. He turned to his best friend and father, looking at them anxiously before announcing, "Kasanoda-kun was rescued by his men. They followed Kasanoda when he was kidnapped and found the place everyone was taken."

"Does that mean they also found Reiko then?" Kyouya quickly asked, picking up on the order of the kidnapping victims.

Hunny's eyes grew huge as he prodded, "Did they, Tama? Did they rescue Reiko-chan for us?" He gripped his cousin's arm with a bracing grasp and watched Tamaki's face anxiously for a response.

"Yes, Hunny-senpai," Tamaki replied, smiling a little at his older friend. "They found Reiko-chan for us. She's safe with Kasanoda-kun and his men at the moment, and they've detained the men who kidnapped everyone and are waiting for us to join them at some old mansion."

Hunny's face, which clearly showed his relief once he knew of Reiko's condition now tightened, his eyes growing dark as he said, "Let's go now, Tamaki." The group stared at the change in the young man as his lips thinned out into a tight line and he clenched his fists. "Let's go, and we'll force them to tell us where the rest of our friends are. And we'll find out just who is behind this," he added with a malicious grin.

Tamaki shivered and opened his mouth to protest too much violence, but Kyouya was faster. "We can't do that, Hunny-senpai," he replied to his martial artist friend. "We need to go find Shiro as fast as we can. The way things are going, we're running out of time to find everyone, and if news of Kasanoda's escape reaches the kidnappers, who knows if we'll find Shiro or Nekozawa? We'll let Kasanoda and Tetsuya deal with the thugs for now, and then we'll go talk to them, and you can do as you please..."

Tamaki's face paled at the gleam in his friend's eyes, but he calmed considerably when Kyouya added, "You can do as you please in the context of the law, that is."

Mori grabbed for Hunny when he would have lunged at the Shadow King. "No, Mitsukuni," he said. "Now is not the time. She is safe." Hunny stared at his cousin for a long moment, but Mori never flinched, and finally Hunny nodded, settling back into his seat silently.

"Now, Tamaki," Yuzuru broke the silence once the tense moment had passed, "what are we going to do about the rescued victims of this kidnapping? We need to let the others know what's going on. Perhaps you should call those twins of yours and let them know that Kasanoda is free."

Before he could reply, Tamaki felt his phone vibrate, and he looked down to see that he had a text message. Flipping the cell phone open, he pressed 'Receive' and saw that Kaoru had texted him. He hit the button and grew pale when he read, "Hideyo is sick! She passed out in the car, Milord! We need to pull over somewhere and see what's wrong. She won't wake up!"

--

Beppe glared at Renge, his eyes narrowing at her triumphant expression. "What have you done?" He whispered furiously, voice low and dangerous.

"You won't let me go," she spouted with righteous indignation, eyes flashing with suppressed emotion. "I had to do something."

Beppe looked across the room at his charge's angry facade. Emilia was currently sitting on the sofa, arms crossed over her chest, and foot beating out an impatient tattoo. "I'm sure there was only a simple misunderstanding," he finally ground out, walking to the woman who glared at him. "Now, tell me again what's wrong."

"I don't know who I am or where I am," Emilia replied, eyes lowered in thought. "You won't tell me what's happened, and you won't let me leave the house. I don't feel comfortable here, and from what I understand, you won't let Renge out either."

Emilia was more comfortable with the strange girl who'd been with her through her ordeal, and while she wasn't sure what caused her to like Renge, she knew instinctively that the girl was there to help her and not to harm her. Unlike Beppe, who consistently kept everything close to the vest and refused to really open up to her, Renge came in and talked with her, trying to help her remember her past in a very subtle way, and though she realized Renge probably wasn't supposed to be doing that for whatever the reason, Emilia appreciated her efforts. Beppe was more or less trying to woo her, and that made her uncomfortable with the man whose seductive looks intrigued and at the same time repulsed her. Something was very wrong.

Beppe kept his eyes veiled as he watched Emilia think. She was a strong-willed woman, and he knew from experience just how determined stubborn women could be. However, he couldn't risk letting her leave just yet. He needed more time to convince her that she was a part of this world, even if she had questioned him about her language and obvious Japanese appearance. He'd brushed aside her concerns, reminding her that she'd been a study abroad student before they fell in love; Emilia had not been convinced.

Before he could decide what tack to take, however, Beppe was surprised to see Emilia regroup and begin to tear into him again.

"I don't know my full name, and that bothers me," she was saying. "And I don't see why you won't give me any information! Renge says you know what's going on and that she isn't allowed to talk to me about any of it. So why won't you tell me the truth? I feel like a child or-or a prisoner! If I know this place and am a part of it, why am I not allowed to simply go outside? Shouldn't I recognize it?"

Taking a breath, she continued to rant, now marching back and forth between the sofa and the table, "And if I've lost my memory, then why hasn't it returned? I know these things take time, but this is ridiculous! You say I belong here, but my name doesn't even feel like my own!"

Renge hid a smile at that comment, knowing full well why Haruhi--ahem, Emilia--was so confused by her identity crisis and current memory loss. Seeing Haruhi take a breath, she decided a bit of prompting was in order and quickly interjected, "Perhaps if you were to tell Emilia about her family and her past, she might be more inclined to regain her memory?" She raised an eyebrow when Beppe scowled at her, trying hard not to laugh at his ire. "Besides, you are the one she loves, correct? Wouldn't that also make you the one most interested in getting her memories back?"

Emilia stared at Renge, noting the veiled triumph on her face, the straight-backed posture that bespoke her tension, and the calculative glances she directed at Beppe. Something she said stuck out to the lost woman, and she turned to Beppe to gage his reaction.

Beppe felt cornered, like a mouse between two hungry cats. On one side Renge stood, looking rather nonplussed and pragmatic, but he could sense her careful scrutiny and desire for him to make a mistake. She would pounce like a mountain lion and tear him apart in whatever way she could. On the other side, Emilia stopped in her pacing and stared at him, eyes blank. For some reason this expression scared him even more than Renge's calculating one, and Beppe knew caution was in order.

"I believe Renge-chan is right," a new voice entered the fray to say. The three in the sitting room were visibly startled as their new member entered the room, a decided sway to her hips and gleam in her eyes. "Beppe, dear, you should make all haste to tell Emilia of her history. She'll get more out of it than hearing it from Renge, who can't tell her the story of how she fell in love with you."

Renge felt stymied at this new twist. She wasn't sure where the two were going with this, but the balance shifted heavily in their direction. Now that control was taken from her grasp, she wondered what would become of her decision to push Beppe to talk to Haruhi.

"And I can go outside?" Emilia asked. Her eyes narrowed as she placed her hands firmly on her hips. Nothing was going to stop her from figuring out what was bothering her about this situation.

"Of course," Beppe smoothly replied, looking very much relieved. "I wouldn't dream of keeping you cooped up all day. We merely wanted to give you time to recover from your injuries, bella. Don't worry; we'll go out tomorrow and take a walk around the grounds. How does that sound?"

Renge made a sound suspiciously like a growl that Emilia, who had paced back over towards the woman, noticed and wondered at. Something in the way things had turned made her a bit anxious, but she desperately needed to get some fresh air, so she replied simply, "That will be fine."

With the crisis averted, Beppe excused himself and walked out, the fourth member of their party in tow. Renge and Emilia watched curiously as they moved, and it was only after the door had closed that the two breathed a sigh, almost in concert.

"What's wrong?" Renge asked Emilia, wondering at her friend's reaction to the whole debacle. "Are you okay?" Emilia had been suffering minor setbacks as she returned to health, mostly dreams that confused her, but sometimes she had moments when her vision swam and she had to sit down until she could focus again.

"Yes," Emilia answered uncertainly, her lower lip caught between her teeth in concentration, "but...don't you think they looked rather close? I mean, Beppe moved very close to her, and he was kind of protective towards her, don't you think?"

Mind racing, Renge worked to come up with something to say in reply. "Well, I'm not really the best person to ask," she said, "but they do seem a bit close, don't they? And they sleep on the other side of the mansion...it's strange, isn't it? He's supposed to be in love with you, and yet, he left with her."

Emilia, who had already come to that conclusion, was surprised at the fact the two slept at the same end of the mansion. She wasn't aware that they were even living in the home with her, and now this new bit of knowledge made her more curious about their relationship than before. Perhaps she should investigate this situation she found herself in.

Renge watched the wheels turning in her friend's head. Despite losing her memory, Haruhi was still as sharp as ever, and something in the tense set of her shoulders told Renge that Haruhi would be pursuing this avenue of thought. She smirked for a moment before schooling her features into mild curiosity as the door opened to reveal Arianne.

"Miss, I believe it is time for you to go back to your room if you don't mind," the meek maid said, gesturing to the hallway for Haruhi to precede her.

"Let me come, too," Renge said, smiling at her new ally. "We still have more stories to discuss, don't we?"

Emilia, almost too caught up in her own thoughts to pay attention to the two leading her, was shocked when she caught the tail end of something Renge was saying. "...but that's Ouran for you."

"Excuse me," Emilia interrupted, a strange light in her eyes, "but did you just say Ouran?"

"Yes, I did," Renge replied, holding her breath as her friend's eyes grew hazy for a moment. Knowing she couldn't tell the whole truth, she gave as close to it as she could, "Ouran Academy is the school I attended in Japan for three years. It's a lovely school and has a host of clubs that students can join."

Haruhi's eyes sharpened when she heard the word 'host' in conjunction with Ouran. It reminded her of her dream, and she wished she knew why it seemed so familiar. Before she could ask any questions, however, the two opened the doors to her room and allowed her to enter.

As the door closed, Emilia heard Arianne say, "Now, what can you tell me of my Tamaki?" The voices ceased with the soft click of the latch, but Emilia's heart was racing at the name 'Tamaki' for some unknown reason.

--

"Who are you, and who are you working for?" Tetsuya's angry voice lashed the men in front of him. Four brawny men, mostly the same ones who had taken their captives to one place after another, were seated on the floor, arms tied behind their backs and feet tied together at the ankles.

Kasanoda flipped his phone shut before striding over to his underling. "Calm down, Tetsuya. I just spoke with Tamaki, and he said they'll be coming over here shortly. Let's see what we can figure out before we beat the crap out of these guys." He cracked his knuckles and smirked at the men, enjoying the fear he saw on their faces for what it was: fear of someone ugly and scary. Fear that was finally serving Kasanoda's interests.

"Now," he said, having captured their attention, "I know you all are being paid to transport your victims to where ever the heck you've been taking them. And I know this is all connected to Tamaki and the host club. What I haven't figured out is who you're working for. With that said," he stretched, allowing his shirt to raise a bit to show off his muscular body, "you should know that we can do this the easy way...or the hard way."

"Kasanoda-san," one of his men said, walking into the room, "all we found were some notes and a small notebook." He held out the offending objects, which Kasanoda took from him. "The notes don't make much sense, but we think they were meant for you and Kanazuki-san."

"Let me see the notes, Kasanoda-kun," Reiko said, walking into the room slowly. "I'll see if I can figure them out." She held out her hand, and Ritsu reluctantly handed over the notes.

"You won't get very far," the brunette in the far corner sneered. The two looked at him steadily as he continued, "Those notes aren't for you. They're for Suou."

"Then why don't you tell us what this is all about," Kasanoda said genially as he stepped over to the man who sported several growing bruises on his cheek and jaw. "Like I said, you can do this the easy way or the hard way."

The man glared up at his captor balefully. "I just want my money. Once I get that, I don't care what you do to me," he said. "Besides, we don't know who hired us. None of us do. We each got a package in the mail with 5,000 yen and a note telling us what to do to get twice that."

"You're lying," Reiko said, staring at the man with her dark eyes. She quirked a grin at him before saying, "That's not true, and you know it. Why don't you be a good boy and tell the truth?" Her voice turned darker and deeper as she spoke, and the light in her eyes grew brighter with each word.

"H-how would you know that? I'm not lying," the brunette stated uneasily, fighting his bonds. "That's the truth, and the only thing I can tell you is that Suou should be the one you're talking to if you want to know what's going on."

"That's right," the biggest man agreed with his cohort. His black hair and eyes made him look even more intimidating while standing, but sitting he seemed rather innocuous. "All we know is that Suou's the one who knows what this is all about. We were just recruited to kidnap everyone and take them where they were supposed to be left. The man didn't tell us anything other than that."

His fellow kidnappers glared at him, making sounds of disgust at his lapse in judgment. The black-haired man's eyes widened as he realized what he'd given away.

Tetsuya and two other men came up to flank Kasanoda and Reiko as Ritsu said, "And who would that man be exactly? And don't bother lying. Reiko here is a master of black magic and can curse you into the next century if you lie to us."

The men looked nervously between two of their former kidnapping victims. Reiko was as stoic as ever, but her eyes gleamed even more as Kasanoda praised her. Ritsu on the other hand was glaring in a formidable way. They wondered what they were thinking to get involved with such powerful groups as the Kasanoda clan and the Ootori Zaibatsu, not to mention black magic wielders. This was becoming more costly by the minute.

"Look, man, he said his name was VP and that he would provide us with information about you guys, your names, locations, families, everything we needed to do the job," the brunette said, looking resigned to the fact he would not get out of this without telling the truth. "We've got the files he gave us over behind that wall," here he inclined his head towards the fireplace, "and he said Suou-sama would know what kind of files they are. I don't know what he was talking about, but since he gave us the money and the information, I didn't care. We were just doing a job."

Tetsuya and another man were carefully searching the fireplace for any kind of trapdoor or hidden opening. Leaning his hand on one of the wall sconces for support as he bent over, Tetsuya grunted when the sconce turned to the right, and the fireplace moved to the side with a grating sound.

The two men entered the small room and returned bearing file folders with papers spilling out. Handing one of the folders to Kasanoda, they dumped the rest on the nearby table. Ritsu pulled out a few papers and handed them to Reiko; the two began to go through the pages of facts concerning the kidnapping victims.

"I know these files," Reiko suddenly said, her face paling with comprehension. "These are our personal school files from Ouran. They document everything from our families to our grades! But how did you come by them?" Her eyes moved to each thug in turn, pinning them to the floor with icy intensity.

--

Two limos pulled unceremoniously into a nearby parking lot. People walking out of the store in front stared as the limos parked next to one another, and young men spilled out of one car to clamber haphazardly into the other. A moment later, two adult men climbed out of the first limo and moved to lean into the open doors of the second limo.

The twins were in shock. Kanako was kneeling on the floor of the limo over the unresponsive Hideyo and patting the girl's cheek with no success. Toru's face was lined with worry, eyes wide and mouth thinned into a straight line as he watched his fiance's efforts.

"We don't know what happened," Kanako said without looking up from Hideyo's prone form. "She started complaining about not feeling well and then curled up in a little ball, clutching her stomach before she fell in the floor of the car."

Yuzuru glanced worriedly at his former student before saying, "Should we call for an ambulance? She looks very ill."

His observation was correct. In her unconsciousness, Hideyo was still clutching her stomach while lying on her side. Her face was sheet white and contorted into a grimace. She lay still but looked in pain, and Kanako was growing worried about the woman.

Tamaki felt sick just looking at Hideyo. "Do you think she's been poisoned?" His mind began to whirl, filling with all manner of plots against the club's new ally. "What if someone wanted to hurt us for finding the others? What if the kidnappers decided to start killing people off because we're going too slowly?" His voice escalated both in speed and pitch with each new theory.

"Tamaki, stop," Kyouya said from his place in the seat Hideyo had occupied. "You're just tossing out ridiculous ideas, and it's getting us nowhere."

Before the shadow king could continue, Tamaki nearly yelled, "Kyouya, what are you doing with Hideyo-san's purse?!"

All movement stopped as every pair of eyes turned towards the dark-haired young man. Tamaki and Yuzuru stared agape as Kyouya continued his task, slowly emptying the contents of Hideyo's purse into his lap and examining them one by one.

"This was the only way I could determine whether Ayanokoji-san was really trying to help us or not," Kyouya replied, not looking up from his task but pulling out a notebook and flipping idly through the pages. "It was for your own good, Tamaki."

"How dare you!" The blind rage in Kaoru's voice was enough to scare even Hunny-senpai into cringing a bit. "You poisoned her?! How could you do something like that, Kyouya-senpai?"

Everyone stared at Kaoru before swiveling to look at Kyouya. "I did not poison her," he replied calmly, still flipping through the notebook. "I merely gave her a mild sedative in order to see if she was working for the kidnappers."

Kanako gasped as Yuzuru turned pale. The twins uttered outraged shouts, and Hunny exchanged glances with his cousin, eyes narrowing at this information.

"You think Hideyo-san had a part in the kidnappings, Kyouya?" Ranka asked, speaking up from his place halfway outside the car.

"I wanted to know one way or another," Kyouya replied noncommittally. "It was rather suspicious for her to be given the first note and then to continue to help us the entire time? She had nothing to gain from helping us, and that nagged at me. I decided to investigate."

Kaoru growled, having recovered enough to say, "That's low, Kyouya-senpai! Even for you, that's low! Hideyo was helping us of her own free will, and you know it. She wanted to get Haruhi back just like the rest of us!"

"Did she?" Kyouya asked smoothly, tearing a sheet out of the notebook and pocketing it. "How do you know? If you'll recall, Kaoru, Ayanokoji-san is the same woman who once tried to sabotage Haruhi's position in the host club. Why would she suddenly come back to Japan, receive a suspicious kidnapping note, and then help us try to find the victims? There's more to this than meets the eye."

"But she's been helping us because she felt bad that she got the message in the first place," Hikaru said. "You were the one who said sending her the note let the kidnappers get Haruhi away faster, senpai! She didn't want to just stand by and watch after you said that!"

Hunny put a restraining hand on Hikaru's arm and then asked, "Kyou-chan, how did you manage to get the sedative to Hideyo-san?"

Kyouya looked up to his older friend and shrugged, saying, "I merely asked Shin-san to pour a bit of it into the drink she had for lunch. I wasn't sure when it would take effect. But she won't be asleep long, so there's no need to worry." Thus saying, he placed the items in his lap back into the unconscious woman's purse, dropping them unceremoniously inside.

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but we have a problem." Kanako's voice tore their eyes from the self-assured young man to look down where she sat with Hideyo. "I think she's having a reaction to whatever you gave her, Kyouya-san. She's got a fever and is beginning to thrash around."

Looking at Hideyo, everyone could see her condition had worsened in the moments they'd been arguing. Her body convulsed, her arms wrapping more tightly around her middle, and her forehead had a thin sheen of sweat on it. Her eyes snapped open, revealing a blank, unfocused gaze, and then they closed as she moaned pathetically.

"We need to get her to a hospital now," Kyouya's no-nonsense voice told them all they needed to know.

Hideyo was in trouble.

...

_A/N: I apologize if the characters (especially Hunny and Kaoru) seem a bit OOC this time around. It wasn't intentional, but it will be explained in further chapters if you didn't figure out the connections already. As for poor Kasanoda, I honestly like the guy, but I truly was using the anime/manga's tendency to show him as the ugly guy who just scares people because of his appearance. I personally think he's a great character. And, finally, I know I'm making Kyouya a bit of a villain in this chapter, but there's a reason for that as well. Overall, this isn't my favorite chapter, but it needed to be written. _

_My story keeps giving me more twists, by the way. I didn't intend on having Kasanoda rescued, but for some reason Tetsuya wouldn't let me leave his beloved leader remain in that hovel. Now I have to figure out why Hideyo's decided to react badly to Kyouya's sedative. Don't worry, though, I have some idea of what's happening, but there's something important that's missing here as they rush Hideyo to the hospital. Can anyone tell me what it is?_

_Thanks for reading and for the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate it, and they encourage me to write more! I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please feel free to let me know what you thought! _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I am so sorry for taking such a long time to update this story! I know you've all been patient, so I won't belabor the point with silly excuses for being so late. Suffice it to say that I have had more than a trying semester and was somewhat indisposed. In any event, I apologize if this makes no sense or has some inconsistencies. Things in your story do tend to change after you've been gone for so long, so I hope you'll forgive me and enjoy this chapter._

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Eight**

-An 'Ouran High School Host Club' Fanfic-

By: Rae

"Oof," the brunette groaned as he slammed into the wall, a towering Kasanoda standing over him, fists clenched in fury. The man had several open wounds on his arms and shoulders and two black eyes. Now he sported new bruises along his jaw and chest from the beating he'd taken at Kasanoda's hands.

Staring at the red-faced clan leader, Tetsuya gulped. He glanced over at Reiko, who had been sitting beside him, and saw that she was crouched in front of the black-haired man who had made the mistake of telling them what was going on. Tetsuya's eyes widened as he realized the man was crying softly.

"Do you want me to hex your family, Gen-san?" Reiko quietly asked him, eyes narrowed in anger. "You can make this easier on yourself if you just tell me what's going on. I'll leave you alone." She held a file in her hands and put it on the ground for a moment to gently trace a line along the man's cheek, grazing it with her long nails as she looked into his eyes, pupils dilated with fear.

"Stop!" The shout from the blond-haired man next to Reiko and his black-haired cohort caused her to pause and dig her nails slightly into the man's face. She leaned back on her heels lazily and gave him a long, appraising glance.

"Do you have something you want to tell me?" She asked him, eyes piercing his with a faint glint of eerie humor.

The blond glared at her before saying, "Yeah, I do." She stood up at that and moved over to stand over him and waited. He took a moment to breathe and then said, "The information you need is in the files over there." He shook his head towards the table laden down with multi-colored filing folders and papers tossed haphazardly into a precarious pile.

Reiko quirked an eyebrow at him, musing on this confession, before turning and walking to the table. She scanned the folder titles and saw nothing of any real interest until one seemed to jump out at her. Pulling the orange folder from the middle of the stack, she flipped it open and sat down gingerly into a nearby chair, eyes never leaving the contents of the folder.

Pulling a sheath of papers out onto the table, she closed the folder and sat it on top of the pile. Kasanoda wandered over with Tetsuya, and the two read the title on the folder's tab.

"What the heck does that mean?" Tetsuya nearly growled, taking the folder and turning it upside down to study the word differently. Finding no answer to his question that way, he opened it and looked at the remaining papers. He scanned a graph with information but could make neither heads nor tails of it as he saw more of the same strange writing. "What language is this written in?"

Kasanoda took the folder from him and read the title aloud, "H-t-e-l-o-b-b-i-h-s. I've never heard of that word before. It doesn't look like any language I've ever studied."

"It's not," Reiko replied, not glancing up from her reading, "but it is what we're looking for." Gesturing to the two men vaguely, she pointed down at a sheet of printer paper with curious instructions written on them.

Kasanoda and Tetsuya moved to stand behind her and read over her shoulder the words printed in nearly unintelligible language. As they read, they noted the interspersed Japanese indicating places and items that were also nearly indecipherable given the circumstances.

Reiko looked up at them and quickly asked, "Do you understand now?" She grinned at them, and they turned surprised glances on one another before silently shaking their heads at her.

Putting the paper on top of the pile she'd already sifted through, Reiko waved them away and then stood up to face them. "This file contains the instructions the kidnapper wanted these men to follow."

"Okay..." Kasanoda replied, brow wrinkled in consternation as he tried to figure out where she was going with this. "But wasn't that the point? Weren't they supposed to follow the instructions anyway?"

Reiko shook her head and gave an exasperated huff as she pointed firmly at the page. "These instructions give the locations of all the kidnapped victims," she said in a voice slightly louder than her normal quiet one, eyes brightening.

Tetsuya and Kasanoda stood with the rest of the clan men around them and shared a long look before breaking out into wide grins. "Does that mean we can find Haruhi, then?" Kasanoda asked hopefully, eyes widening at the thought.

The raven-haired girl's eyes turned darker and narrowed at the question as she picked up the page she'd been holding. She scanned it again, and the men watched as she silently mumbled something to herself. Looking up, her face was troubled, and Kasanoda's joy was shattered when she replied, "No, I'm afraid not."

--

The convoy of limos was joined shortly by a bevy of Ootori vehicles containing multiple members of the Ootori private police force. Kyouya had placed a call as the limos swung into traffic and began battling the crowded roads on their race to the nearest hospital. Within minutes the cars began to pull over as roaring sirens were heard, but Kyouya calmly instructed the driver of the lead limo not to pull over. The sirens continued as the black vehicles with flashing headlights maneuvered smoothly around the long cars, forming a strange caravan.

The hospital they drove toward was owned by the Ootori Zaibatsu and was already informed that the third son was bringing an important patient who demanded immediate attention. Kyouya orchestrated events rapidly, walking to the limo driver and explaining where they would be going as the rest of the group clambered back into the car; once he was done and inside the limo, they began their trip. What Kyouya neglected to inform his friends was that the hospital they were arriving at was not the closest one to their current location.

He knew from years of study in his father's study that the Ootori hospital system was complex and structured under a strict hierarchy that created classes of patients. While most hospitals created different departments based on specialties and care needed, the Ootori system had an underlying structure that superseded the 'care needed' quotient. Any patient admitted to an Ootori hospital was only admitted based on potential for return and insurance; most hospitals catered only to an elite group of society and had come to be known as the preferred health care system of any number of politicians, celebrities, business magnates, socialites, and, of course, the majority of Ouran students and their families.

As a potential heir to the Ootori group, Kyouya knew by rote all the avenues that one could take to insure admittance to the hospital; he also knew how each person was categorized once admitted. Beginning with 'societal position' and going through 'income level,' 'health history,' 'known health issues (chronic, malignant, and benign),' and 'nature of health complaint,' the person was asked a series of questions on the form required of all patients. While they answered questions, the secretary behind the screened in desk was busy pulling up a detailed report from the Ootori computer system. The report generally contained the same information on the form the patient was filling in (sans current health complaint) with the additional details required to determine admission and placement in the hospital.

If a patient was admitted on a true, life-or-death emergency, most Ootori hospitals had been charged to attend to the patient immediately and apply whatever means necessary to save the patients life. A much younger Kyouya had grinned wryly as his father explained this policy with a sour expression marring his features during one of their lessons in his office.

"Ootoris cater to comfort and wealth," Yoshio arrogantly explained, eyes narrowed on his young son. "We cater to our comfort and the patient's wealth. If the patient is someone, say the president of Yamada Motors, we provide him with four-star service. A patient on the fringe of society receives one-star service. However, we always treat a select few with five-star service, and these are the people you will be expected to become friends with at Ouran, Kyouya."

Kyouya had stared at his father with wide eyes and asked, "How will I know which ones I'm supposed to be friends with?"

Yoshio slammed his hands on the table, startling his young son, and replied, "You will talk to those I tell you to, and you will cater to those I want you to. You will become friends only with those families that are most important to the Ootori group."

Back then, Kyouya had merely nodded his acquiescence and continued with his lessons, too caught up in the study and silent competition between himself and his brothers to be angry about this. Now, however, Kyouya knew every hospital in Japan and had long dossiers on each of his father's hospitals and how they operated. He had studied different hospital systems and determined what their weaknesses and strengths were. In short, he was the most knowledgeable of the host club on the area hospitals, and he used this to his advantage as he ordered the limo drivers to head to the one a bit farther off.

The hospital he chose was one of his favorites. Unlike some of the other hospitals in the Ootori group, this one was known for not applying some of his father's more unreasonable evaluations in admitting patients. He had worked there himself in a pseudo-administrative position during his first year of high school and was able to retain a bit of control in the hiring and firing process, allowing him to create his own exceptional and private staff. While Yoshio often laughed with his older sons and fellow businessmen about his son's 'pet project,' Kyouya was busy making strides in the business he wanted to control.

Years later, he was now top shareholder in this particular hospital and had actually bought it off his father in the crumbling of this part of the Ootori Zaibatsu during the end of his second year. After celebrating his victory over the smug, aloof Eclair, Kyouya began administering new orders to the hospitals he had taken over. Some of them still followed the tried and true administrative practices and policies his father had established; they were, after all, still being overseen by Yoshio. This one, however, had quickly adapted and began experiencing a turn-around of unreal proportions. Within a year, profits and patient satisfaction had risen as had the number of patients; what was more intriguing to Yoshio and his older sons, however, was the change in employee turnover and how few of Kyouya's employees expressed any kind of discontent with the third son's system.

Ootori Zaibatsu stock had even enjoyed a substantial boost in trading over the year that Kyouya began implementing his plan, and Yoshio was content to let his son play with this insignificant portion of his business so long as this boon continued. He wanted Kyouya to get a taste of the business before dangling that treasured title of Ootori heir in front of him again; knowing how greedy Kyouya was, Yoshio was sure he could milk more profit out of his younger son and find himself with incredible innovation and success in the future.

What Yoshio hadn't counted on was the effects of changing the hospitals in the Ootori group from the lowest rung. Now as the limos pulled into the emergency room turnaround of the hospital, a rush of white hurled itself at the second limo, and the many occupants inside were quickly unloaded before the nurses gingerly placed a writhing Hideyo onto a stretcher. Wheeling her inside, they took her directly to a private room while Kyouya steered the host club and company to the waiting room before moving to speak with the ER doctor on duty.

Tamaki and the others looked around the emergency room in awe. Warm colors decorated the waiting room walls, and televisions positioned in the corners showed the news, children's cartoons, and new dramas for interested parties. What was even more interesting was how comfortable the sofas and chairs were and how many people littered the room in groups of four and five.

"Is this an Ootori hospital?" Hikaru finally asked in a quiet voice as his eyes swept over the array of visitors.

Mori nodded the affirmative as Hunny replied, "It's one of the hospitals Ootori-san lost in the buyout to Kyouya. I'd heard Kyou-chan was making changes, but this is unprecedented."

Tamaki silently agreed as he watched a little girl clutching a raggedy stuffed rabbit climb into the chair across the room. Her mother was resting quietly beside her, eyes tired and arms limp. He didn't recognize them at all, and the man with them did not give off an air of superiority or authority, something Tamaki had seen many times in visits to Ootori hospitals. Looking around the room, he noticed that many of the families seated there were nondescript, normal families that would never have been admitted at another of the Ootori group's hospitals.

"It is a bit strange, don't you think?" Kaoru finally asked, having calmed enough to let his anger simmer. His carriage was tense with the strain of the last hour, but his eyes had brightened with his curiosity. "Why would Kyouya change everything so drastically? Does he just want to annoy his father?"

Yuzuru chuckled at the question and told Kaoru, "I think Kyouya had a change of heart, so to speak, that allowed these changes to happen. Perhaps he just had a run-in with a side of humanity he never experienced before?" His eyes twinkled as he reclined in his chair.

"You mean he met Haruhi and realized that commoners were not a plague," Ranka said tiredly from his place on a nearby couch. He sat next to Kanako and grinned sleepily at the rest of them. "It is somewhat of a shock to find out that what you've always believed is true really isn't."

Tamaki returned the man's smile as he said, "Yes, it is. And Haruhi is the perfect teacher."

Before anyone could comment further, an agitated Kyouya stalked back to the group, coming to a halt in front of Tamaki and Yuzuru. "It appears," he ground out through gritted teeth, "that Hideyo has been missing these last few years because she developed a rare disease that was not treatable in Japan. According to her private physician, she had him remove any record of the disease on her medical history in Japan and has been having treatments in France to rid her of it. She was only allowed to come back home after a safe amount of time had passed and her medication appeared to be effective; unfortunately that same medicine creates a rather nasty reaction in a person when combined with any type of sedative."

"So you're saying you made a mistake?" Kaoru asked, eyes glittering in triumph and voice challenging Kyouya to deny it. Hikaru linked arms with his twins, fists balled and eyes flashing.

Kyouya looked at the two and smirked a bit before replying, "Yes, I suppose I did." He leveled a look at the rest of the group and then continued, "I believe it would be best for us to split up. I think some of us should stay here and keep a watch over Ayanokoji-san while the rest go to the colosseum and search for Shiro. We're losing enough time as it is. I'll stay here and work with the staff, but I think the rest of you should..."

"I'm staying, too," Kaoru stubbornly interrupted, standing opposite the Shadow King, chin jutted out defiantly. "I want to make sure you don't do anything else to Hideyo-san. She needs someone around who isn't shooting mean glances at her or getting all suspicious of her for no reason," he finished, eyeing his friends menacingly.

Lifting a dignified eyebrow, Kyouya did not comment on the accusation but merely said, "All right. The twins and I will stay here. Ranka-san, you, Suzushima-san, and Kanazaki-san can stay if you like. I think the rest, at least, should head to Tokyo immediately."

After a few minutes' discussion, they parted, leaving Kyouya, Kaoru, Hikaru, Toru, and Kanako behind. The rest piled into a limo and took off for Tokyo, realizing rather abruptly that their location at this hospital was convenient to the freeway. As they drove, Tamaki and Yuzuru were wondering the same thing: where would they find Shiro in the giant colosseum? In an hour's time, they would know the answer to their question.

--

"Isn't it the most glorious color you've ever seen?" Emilia happily asked Renge as they wandered through the garden on the estate grounds. The two were meandering through the exquisite blooms and chatting about their lives with Arianne keeping watch over them.

Emilia bent over to pluck one of bright yellow daffodils that swayed lazily in the breeze, and Renge glanced past her at the driveway in the distance. She'd overheard Beppe talking with Arianne and instructing her to keep them away from the road, but Renge had a plan. She wasn't about to stay on the grounds and avoid seeing a road that could potentially tell her where she was or better yet provide a means of escape from her captors.

"They are beautiful, Emilia," she replied distractedly and noticed a butterfly flittering towards the long driveway. "Oh look!" She called, pointing to the creature as its unfurled wings flashed a deep turquoise and amber.

Emilia smiled and began to walk towards the butterfly, not really in any pursuit but wanting to see where it was going. Renge followed, a smug smile on her face as Arianne walked behind them, scuffing her feet on the grass and anxiously wringing her hands. They got closer to the butterfly when Emilia suddenly gasped and began running toward the drive.

"What is it?" Renge asked, panting as she tried to keep up with her friend, Arianne quickly walking up to them with her hand over her chest.

A curious look crossed the brunette's face as her eyes narrowed in concentration at something in the distance. Renge had no idea what had captured Emilia's attention, but whatever it was seemed to be causing some sort of flashback because her eyes slowly became glassy and then sharpened with something remembered.

The three were outside together without Beppe because he and his cohort needed time to work on something. Renge knew it wasn't good because she'd overheard the two of them talking about being in trouble if something else went wrong in their plans, and she knew it wouldn't be long before Tamaki and the rest of the hosts would be looking for Haruhi and herself, if they weren't already. Unfortunately, the two conspirators found sending their kidnapping victims out for a walk to be the perfect way to get some time alone to plot; Renge wasn't pleased, but she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to do some exploring and hopefully some strategizing.

Arianne panted and stopped next to Renge, remaining respectfully quiet as Emilia stood stock still, wearing the same glassy expression she had so many times before. The two exchanged glances, both wondering what was happening to her, but surprisingly Arianne did not try to interrupt as Beppe had instructed her. In order to keep Haruhi from regaining her memories, Beppe and the blasted woman had made a habit of interrupting her when she donned the glazed look so characteristic of her remembrances. Now they stood in silence once more and waited, Renge praying to any god that would listen that her friend would regain her memories.

Emilia's eyes cleared, and she began running once more, veering slightly off the path of the drive to the left but still towards the road, and Renge mentally cheered at being able to get so far without being stopped by their unwilling guard. Before she could figure out what had caught Emilia's attention, she was pulled up short by her friend's stopping at the banks of a rather large lake.

"I..." Emilia paused and wrinkled her brows as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say. "I think there's something I should remember... about... water or something." She glanced over at Renge and gave a sheepish smile before saying, "Is that strange? That I should have some sort of a memory about water?"

"No, of course not," Renge assured her, remembering a particular story she'd heard where Haruhi had fallen into a river with no one but Tamaki to save her. Her mind rushed to bring back the details of the story as she asked, "Could it have anything to do with falling into water?"

Emilia stared at her, eyes glazed once more with memory, as Arianne rushed up, "I think so. I... remember falling, but before I hit the water... someone was there. Holding me, saving me. I... can't quite remember..."

Renge stiffened with surprise and shock before probing, "Was it a man?"

"Yes..." Emilia replied, looking pleased. "Yes, it was. He was... tall, and blond... with... eyes so blue they almost looked purple. And his smile... it was so sweet..."

Next to Renge, Arianne now stiffened in surprise, "This young man, he had blue eyes?" When Emilia only nodded, Arianne took a deep breath before asking, "Did he have a name?"

Eyes clouding, Emilia shook her head ruefully. "He comes to me in my dreams, and yet I still cannot remember his name. I don't know who he is... or why he would rescue me. I wish I knew..."

Arianne locked eyes with Renge, and the former host manager knew they needed to talk. While Arianne had not expressed any interest in the situation beyond what was allowed, they had discussed Ouran and Tamaki in detail, and she knew her son's description like the back of her hand. Renge thought about how she would break the truth of their situation to the loyal maid but knew it would have to be the truth because Arianne would accept nothing less.

"Um, I have a bit of a headache," Emilia interrupted Renge's thoughts to say. "Do you think we could go back inside? I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Of course, Miss," Arianne replied before Renge could interject. "Come this way." She took Emilia's arm, and, with nothing to keep her outside longer, Renge sighed and followed the two to the mansion.

Once back inside, Renge realized they might not have stayed out long enough for her captors to make their plans, so she stole away from her friend and Arianne to go snooping. Following her path of the days before, she made her way up the side stairs to the long hallway delineating the rambling manor's many passageways. Taking the second hall on her right, she followed it until she came to the curve to the left.

Walking a few paces further, she lifted the tapestry on the wall to her right and grinned when she found the hidden door. Pulling it open, she slipped inside, letting the tapestry fall behind her but leaving the door ajar. Creeping through the dark room, she found the small lamp on the desk and flipped it on before pulling the large, stuffed chair, most likely an antique, over to rest beneath the vent. Scrambling up into the chair, she stood, neck craned for any noise in the room next door.

"She said they found everyone so far and she doesn't want them to find the rest of them so easily," The woman was saying, voice tense. "She faxed instructions to move the rest of them to new places, but they never replied. I don't know why they wouldn't; part of their pay is based on their ability to follow directions quickly and keep communication constant."

"It doesn't sound good to me," Beppe replied, scraping a chair against the floor as he stood. "They can't have just stopped talking with her unless something happened. Do you think they found everyone already?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "Tamaki's too idiotic to pick up on the nuances of the clues we wrote. Besides, even with Kyouya and those stupid twins, he can't possibly figure out how everything pertains to Haruhi. I don't care how many people he recruits; he won't find her."

"But what happens then?" Beppe asked quietly, in a tone Renge had learned was as dangerous as the man himself. "What do we do with her? I will not stand for it if she does fall for me and that old hag wants us to go through this sham of a marriage. If he doesn't find her, what will she do with Haruhi?"

There was an audible pause as Renge held her breath, hoping to hear whatever was said next. Her eyes were closed in concentration, but her clenched fists belied her frustration with the circumstances.

"She won't force you to marry that wench," his companion hissed. "She can't; it wasn't part of our contract. And she said Haruhi would come with her and become one of her maids if Tamaki couldn't find her. What a cruel twist of irony... making a maid of his one, true love." Her voice was mocking and low as she chuckled.

"I love it when you're so devious," Beppe replied, and Renge heard them kiss, causing her to nearly wretch at the sound. "But we can't expect Renge to keep quiet, now can we? And if Haruhi regains her memories, we'll have to get rid of them both because she'll never stand for remaining captive."

"Renge will keep quiet," she told him matter-of-factly. "She knows what we can do to her, and as an added bonus, I'll explain to her tomorrow that if she keeps quiet, she will eventually get to go home."

"She does?" Beppe's incredulous voice came through loud and clear, and he became quiet as her voice shushed him. "I thought she could never go back to Japan."

"She can't, but she can go back home to Daddy dearest."

The two laughed as Renge's heart clenched. So they were going to somehow threaten her into staying in France? She wouldn't let that happen. Her eyes opened with bright anger shining in them, and she glared up at the vent with righteous fury. Craning her neck to see what else they would say, she barely heard the click of the door as it began to open.

Feeling frantic, she shoved the chair haphazardly back into its place and raced around the desk that stood at the other end of the room. As she flung herself into the crawlspace underneath, she cursed silently at herself for forgetting to turn off the lamp. Calming her breathing, she waited as two pairs of feet made their way inside.

"That's funny," Arianne's voice mused, "the lights are usually off."

Renge nearly gasped but caught herself and waited to hear who else was inside.

"Who cares? You said I could hear them from here, right?" Renge's eyes widened when she heard Haruhi's voice. "And you're going to help me figure out who I am, right? Not even Renge will tell me what's going on, and I have a feeling Beppe and that woman are threatening her to keep quiet, so I have to figure it out on my own."

"Yes, miss," Arianne replied, making no mention of her own help. "But if we move this chair over, we can hear them through the vent. They should still be talking, and we might learn something helpful."

"I've already learned something helpful," Renge said, emerging from her hiding place and grinning at the two. "And, Emilia, I would be honored to help you figure out your past, but you're right. Beppe has threatened me, and they were just discussing further measures to keep me quiet. Go ahead and step up there; you might catch the end of their conversation."

Looking curiously at her friend, Emilia finally shrugged and climbed up on the chair, standing much as Renge had a few moments earlier, eyes closed in concentration. The two left in the room exchanged glances before watching their third for any signs of interesting conversation.

Emilia was conflicted; everything in her said she didn't belong here, but she wasn't sure why no one would explain her life to her. Renge seemed the most trustworthy to her, but even that was based on foggy feelings of friendship that she knew were most likely set in her past. Beppe inspired nothing but suspicion in her, and the other woman was not someone she wanted to tangle with. Feeling that she could find more out on her own, she'd requested Arianne's help and found the maid to be a wealth of knowledge concerning the manor, its owners, and its location, something Arianne told her was to remain a secret.

Now, standing under the vent, she tilted her neck back to hear better and waited for something that she couldn't quite define. Quiet voices caught her attention, and she concentrated on the room next door.

"We can't let her get her memories back or else we'll never be together," Beppe was saying, and Emilia let herself give a small, breathless gasp, though somehow it felt right to not truly be tied to this man. "I don't care what that old witch wants me to pretend, but I will never marry that woman."

"Don't worry, dear," the other woman replied soothingly. "After Tamaki fails, we'll take Renge back to her father with strict orders to keep her in France, and Haruhi will go with the witch back to Japan. She'll probably never regain her precious memories of her life in Japan anyway, so there's no need to worry; after all, Renge hasn't been able to inspire any kind of memory resurrection yet, and I doubt she will."

"And then you and I will be free of her manipulation," Beppe stated emphatically, and Emilia listened harder. "It will be wonderful to go back home to Milan with you, bella."

"I told you not to call me that until that girl is gone," she countered, and Emilia heard a slap. "But we'd better go see if they're back yet. I'm sure their outing didn't last that long; after all, Emilia's still ingesting the crushed sedatives, so she'll tire quicker than Renge."

Knees shaking, Emilia dropped soundlessly to the floor, ignoring the questioning looks on her companions faces. She mulled over the little she'd heard, wondering what she could do with the information, but then she remembered that the two were leaving to look for them.

"They're going to look for us," she said, giving Arianne a questioning look. The woman nodded and motioned to the girls, pausing by the door to listen. After a moment, she opened the door and walked into the hall, waving at Renge and Emilia to stay there.

As they waited, Renge dragged the chair back to its resting place and walked over to the desk to make sure she hadn't dropped any of the papers on it; before she could check, however, she noticed a cell phone on the desk that she hadn't seen before. Snatching it, she opened the phone and saw a picture of Beppe and his woman with the title "Beppe" blazing across the photo. Noting the service bars, Renge grinned to herself and stuck it in her pocket, leaning over to push in the desk chair she'd shoved out of the way in her flight to hide. Walking casually back to the lamp, she flipped the switch once Arianne gave the okay to leave.

The three took a hidden passage Renge hadn't seen before; Arianne explained that the house had been built right before the French Revolution and included many such passages in order to hide the nobility that once occupied it should they be targeted by the mobs. They arrived back in Emilia's room before the couple could get there, and Arianne and Renge helped Emilia into bed and were fussing over her noisily as Beppe entered the room.

Renge took her leave shortly after, asking Emilia to feel better and let her know if she could help. The knowing glint in her friend's eyes let her relax because she knew Haruhi was still there, trying to get out. She walked to her room and shut the door firmly behind her before locking it. Pulling the phone out of her pocket, she thrust a fist in the air when she noted it still had service. Quickly she dialed the number she sought and stopped before pressing the Send button. Would it go through?

--

"Where is your cell phone, Tama-chan?" Hunny asked his friend as they walked into the colosseum.

"Oh, I left it in the car," Tamaki said vaguely, mulling over the paper he held in his hands and barely missing the door that was closing on him. "I don't think anyone will call me; besides, Kyouya never calls me when anything important is happening anyway. I'm sure one of your or my father will get a call like that."

The cousins shared a glance as their former leader marched through the doors of the auditorium, ignoring the colosseum manager who tried to convince him he needed to leave because the colosseum was closed.

"I am Suou Yuzuru," said man retorted to the annoyed manager. "If there is any problem with our presence, please feel free to let me know, and we will leave immediately."

The manager bowed contritely, assuring the man there was no problem before turning and hustling back to his office. Hunny and Mori noted the scowl on his face as he did so, however.

"Now," Ranka said, striding into the auditorium behind the rest of the group, "if you were going to hide someone in a colosseum, where would you do it?"

Blank expressions met him, and he sighed before walking determinedly down the aisle toward the orchestra pit. "You'd hide him in plain sight," he said, answering his own question.

Tamaki and the cousins exchanged confused glances at such a vague answer. They followed him, however, when he walked to the orchestra pit that was carved into the auditorium floor. Ranka sat gingerly on the floor and lowered himself into the pit, careful not to disrupt the mingled music stands and chairs. The others followed suit, wanting to see what he was getting at.

Standing in the pit, Yuzuru and Tamaki watched him with interest as Ranka walked through the chairs and stands to the door underneath the auditorium floor that went under the stage. Pulling it open, he walked inside and flipped on the switch.

The group looked around the small space at the various props from plays and concerts that littered the room. "Why are we down here?" Hunny asked as he sneezed from the dust of the room. Mori handed him a handkerchief before walking further into the room to follow the okama.

"Because this is where Shiro will be," Ranka answered distractedly as he stepped over a fallen lamppost and barely dodged a falling prop helmet, made to resemble those of ancient Rome. "Don't you get it?"

"Not really," Hunny replied, looking uncertainly around the surprisingly large room that seemed so stuffed with random items.

Once he was close to the center of the room with the rest of the group around him, Ranka pointed to a small door that looked like it could lead to a different room. Mori and Hunny circled the door and wall, realizing it was little more than a small square structure that had no outlet. Ranka walked over and pulled the door open, revealing a small space with a ladder.

"Shiro's up there," he said, as he climbed the ladder carefully, reaching into the dark space as he went. No more then three steps from the bottom, he halted, having reached a ceiling of some sort. He began to push on the ceiling and grunted when it wouldn't budge. He then swept his hands across it, trying to find some sort of latch. A triumphant call escaped him when he found what seemed to be a sliding door; Ranka pulled on it, surprising all present when it slid easily to reveal yet another dark space.

Tamaki and Yuzuru looked on with confusion as Ranka shoved his head up into the dark. "Well, hello there," he said, and they started. "Mori," he called, "could you come up here and help me get Shiro down? Or better yet, why don't you all go up to the stage, and I'll bring him up."

Tamaki, Yuzuru, Mori, and Hunny all hurried out of the room and back up to the orchestra pit where they climbed back out. By the time they reached the auditorium floor, a slightly dusty Ranka was pulling a rather disgruntled Shiro out from a hole in the floor. The four quickly scrambled up onto the stage and helped Ranka with their small friend before untying him.

Shiro regarded them all with suspicion before smiling and launching himself at Ranka. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said, holding back tears as he held the older man. Ranka sat and patted him on the head, stroking his back soothingly until Shiro had collected himself.

"Are you all right, son?" Yuzuru asked once Shiro had sat up and calmed down.

"Yes, sir," Shiro replied, looking at Tamaki, Hunny, and Mori with a curious glance. "So you guys are the ones who were supposed to find me?"

"What do you mean?" Tamaki asked his young friend.

Shiro sat still for a moment and then jumped to his feet, "Oh yeah! We have to go back down there and get the note!"

Without a second thought he climbed back into the hole, telling the others to wait there. Tamaki stared at the wooden floor for a moment before pinning Ranka with a look. "How did you know where Shiro would be, Ranka-san?"

Ranka glanced at all of them and realized they truly didn't know. He took pity on them and explained, "Kotoko always loved plays and dramas when we were younger, and she made go to plays with her. We went to see 'Phantom of the Opera' once, and it reminded me of the trapdoor in that play. So I figured that would be where Shiro would be... if the colosseum had one. I'm glad I was right."

The group was pondering this when Shiro popped back out of the trapdoor with a grimy note in his hands. He pulled himself onto the stage floor and smirked at the hosts as he presented the note.

"They told me I was supposed to give this to you if I could find it after I was released," he explained, looking smug. "They didn't count on the fact that I could hear them as they laughed about their hiding place. So I knew exactly where it was." He handed Tamaki the note.

Tamaki looked at the crumpled note and began to unfold it. Surprisingly this note was in a different format than the rest they had encountered, and he stared at it uncomprehendingly for a moment before showing it to the rest of the group.

A picture of a skull and crossbones had been crudely drawn in smudged pencil marks, and beneath that, someone with messy handwriting different from the previous notes had written, "Home is where the heart is."

..........

_A/N: If you're still with me after all that I've put you through in waiting for this chapter, then I want to sincerely thank you and tell you how grateful I am that you've read this far. Any comments and thoughts would be greatly appreciated; however, I don't plan to go back and reply to the comments from the last chapter simply because it's been so long since I updated. I will, however, reply to any comments I get on this chapter, and as always, I hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks again, and I will hopefully not take so long in updating next time!_

_Oh, and by the way, I know some of the stuff about the Ootori business was tedious, but trust me, it's a necessary part of the story! _

_Until next time..._

_Rae_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Hello, all! I'm back with the next chapter, and this one marks the beginning of the end. One of my reviewers called it aptly when they said the last chapter was the turning point. Things are going to speed up swiftly and bring the conclusion to the story rapidly. That's why this chapter isn't quite as long as the rest, but you'll hopefully be understanding about that since I am managing to wrap things up sooner rather than later!_

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks! _

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Nine**

**By: Rae**

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

Kaoru paced the small waiting room Kyouya had taken the group to after their split. Hikaru sat on the patient bed and watched nervously as his twin became more and more agitated with every moment of waiting on some sort of news. They realized immediately that Kyouya had given them a private patient room, but neither of them cared enough to ask if they had displaced any patients. Kyouya was silent on that point as well.

Toru and Kanako sat in the twin reclining chairs, basking in the comfort of the Ootori hospital system. Kanako was nearly asleep after her harrowing hour of trying to prevent Hideyo from hurting herself while suffering the seizures that gripped her. Toru held her hand in his and looked rather exhausted himself, which wasn't surprising given his recent rescue and long day.

The door opened and Kyouya appeared. The former vice president of the host club walked heavily into the room and sank into the couch against the window. His eyes closed momentarily as he did so, and it was only then that the four noticed the bags under his eyes.

"Ootori-san?" Kanako asked, roused from her drowsiness and concerned for the young man who had been so essential in finding her and her fiance. "Is everything all right?"

Kyouya opened one eye and glanced at her before closing it again and replying, "No, it's not." His voice, somewhat hoarse and extremely tense had both twins nearly standing at attention. It wasn't often that Ootori Kyouya became so affected by something that he lost his normal cool. When that happened, the Hitachiins, as with the rest of the club, knew something was very wrong.

"What's going on, Kyouya?" Hikaru asked, always eager to get things out in the open. His twin stayed in the corner he'd ended up in when Kyouya entered the room, but even anger at Hideyo's unfortunate situation could not temper his concern for his friend.

Kyouya sighed but refused to look at anyone as he reported, "Ayanokoji-san will be fine. The doctor wants her to rest a bit, but she is conscious and has been able to drink and eat a bit." He went silent after imparting this information, but no one could have missed Kaoru's relief as he sagged into the bed with his brother. It had, after all, been three hours since they brought Hideyo to the hospital.

"But there's something else that's troubling you, isn't there?" Toru voiced softly, not wanting to upset his former classmate but knowing there had to be some reason that Kyouya would not look at them.

Kyouya opened his eyes and glared out the window at nothing, seeming to wrestle with himself. He opened his mouth to speak but halted, glancing suspiciously at the twins, before turning to level a look of immense displeasure at Toru. "Yes," was his only response.

Now that his fears had been allayed, Kaoru began to wonder what had happened to his senpai to make him so stressed out. Rarely had anyone in the host club witnessed such raw exhaustion and frustration pouring off the Ootori third son, and for someone who cooly made business deals that left hundreds of lives in the balance, it was nearly a feat impossible to bring such a troubled countenance to Kyouya's face.

Kaoru glanced at his brother before carefully asking, "This doesn't happen to have anything to do with your father, does it?"

Kyouya's head nearly snapped up, but he managed to hold his peace. The only indication that anything was amiss was a flash of his glasses as he pointedly raised his head to regard Kaoru severely. "I don't see how it could, Kaoru," he responded. "No, this has more to do with the situation we find ourselves in and the swiftness of the resolution I desire. I do hope Tamaki and the others will be able to find Shiro quickly..."

A cell phone rang then, and the others jumped slightly at the suddenness of it. The harsh ringing had interrupted Kyouya, and while Kaoru felt slightly annoyed at being deprived of an explanation from the shadow king, he also wondered what news they would be facing next. Looking up, he saw Kyouya pull a phone from his pocket and look at the display.

Kyouya's eyes narrowed as he noted the number on his phone. It was not one he recognized, but he had learned never to ignore such things, especially since his father had the delightfully annoying habit of having business partners call with outlandish requests. Flipping the phone open, he hit Send before the caller could hang up.

"This is Ootori," he said tersely into the receiver. He had half a mind to end the call, but something stopped him.

"Kyou? Is it really you?" The voice on the other end would have caused him to slump into the nearest chair had he not already been sitting. "Kyouya, please, if that's you, I must know... I don't know how much time I have..."

"Hold on a moment," he replied quickly, cutting the voice off mid-sentence. Lurching out of his seat, he put a hand on the arm of the couch to steady himself before glancing at the room at large and announcing, "I'll be back momentarily. Please excuse me." Then one Ootori Kyouya quite nearly raced out of the room, if one could call the slightly faster and longer strides he made to the door racing.

"What was that all about?" Hikaru asked, watching his friend's retreat. Surprised glances and negative shakes of the head were all the answer he received.

---

"What do you mean we can't find Haruhi?" Kasanoda nearly yelled at Reiko, failing to keep his calm in the face of this news. "You said those papers told where all the kidnapped people were!"

Reiko stared at him evenly and waited until his breathing had slowed before responding, "I was unaware Fujioka-san was among the missing, and unfortunately this paper merely tells the locations of most of the kidnapped victims. It was a premature assumption on my part to say that it detailed the locations of all of them."

Kasanoda remained silent, the wind having completely left his sails, as Tetsuya asked, "So who isn't on the list besides Haruhi?"

"No one," Reiko answered, forestalling the obvious questions by continuing, "but in response to the whereabouts of Hoshakuji Renge, the paper only says that she was transferred to an airport in Tokyo and put on a plane bound for somewhere. It appears she was placed on a private jet, but I'm afraid I don't know much about the airline industry."

Tetsuya and Kasanoda exchanged glances before Kasanoda said, "I wonder if Haruhi was with her. Tamaki said she was kidnapped from school, and I'm guessing they didn't bring her here since we didn't see her. It seems like they keep making it harder and harder to find people, and it appears the kidnappers have some weird connection to the host club."

The two friends continued to mull over the possibilities as Reiko went back to her file folder and began perusing more of the pages inside. Pulling out a page with different names on the front, she noticed two heavily circled names of people she knew very well. Putting the page aside to study more carefully later, she took another piece of paper out of the file.

The men stopped talking when Reiko gasped. Turning to her with alarmed looks on their faces, they kept silent as she looked up at them in shock. "They're getting married!" Her voice was incredulous, and she glanced back down at the page, reading quickly. Then she repeated, "They're getting married. That's why his name is circled; that's why she isn't..."

Kasanoda narrowed his eyes and asked some rather pertinent questions when the former mistress of maledictions trailed off, "Who's getting married? What are you talking about, Reiko? I don't understand."

Reiko ignored the familiar way he used her name and instead insisted, "I never would have guessed, and Mitsukuni never said anything about it. I just don't know why I never saw it before."

The continued delay of information had Kasanoda nearly growling as he spat out, "What's going on, Reiko? What have you figured out?"

She looked up at him, surprised by his tone of voice, and explained, "The reason one of our number was kidnapped is simply because she was about to change the course of the kidnapper's plans entirely. Since the kidnapper couldn't afford such a change, I believe, the plans were altered at the last minute. That's why we were all kidnapped. It wasn't some grand design. We were kidnapped so the kidnapper wouldn't have to face one very important decision."

Tetsuya, fed up with the cryptic answers, retorted angrily, "And what decision would that be?"

Reiko leveled a serious gaze at him before answering, "How to end a marriage without disrupting a business venture."

---

Kyouya walked back into the patient room, one hand to his head, looking supremely relieved, and the rest of the group exchanged glances. Before anyone could speak, however, his phone rang again, and they were left waiting as he yanked it from his pants pocket and glanced at the Caller ID. His breath left him in an annoyed huff as he flipped the cell open once more.

"What is it, Tamaki?" He asked in lieu of his normal greeting.

"Kyouya, we have Shiro!" Tamaki's voice came over the phone loud and clear. "And we have the clue for Nekozawa, too! I'm not sure what it means, though..." His voice trailed off as he mumbled something to someone else with him. "Oh, Kyouya, Shiro says the men were talking about some master plan having to do with some sort of secret deal. Do you know what that could mean?"

Hikaru and Kaoru watched in concern as Kyouya's relieved face became stony once more, and he said, "I think I might know what that means, but if I'm right, we're in a lot of..."

Tamaki quickly cut him off by saying, "Oh, Kyouya, I have to go! Kasanoda's calling me! I'll call you right back! Oh... we're on the way to the hospital, by the way... talk to you soon!"

Kyouya flipped his phone shut and sat back down on the couch, his face blank and eyes calculating. The twins knew this look, and Hikaru began by saying, "Milord found Shiro?" Kyouya nodded absentmindedly. "And I'm guessing they're coming back to the hospital?" Again Kyouya nodded. "You have another problem now." His voice was nonplussed and matter-of-fact, but it got Kyouya's attention.

"Don't try to hide it, Kyouya," Kaoru said before his senpai could interrupt. "We know that look, and there's obviously something going on here that you don't want us to know about."

Hikaru picked up where his twin left off, "You were deliberately evasive with Milord on the phone, and that usually means you have more than an idea of what's going on. So tell us what you've figured out."

---

"I can't find my phone," Beppe grated out, pacing the small library in his Italian leather shoes. Renge smirked from her hiding place as she listened to the conversation.

"Where did you have it last?" His companion asked lazily, not bothered by his problem.

The pacing stopped. "I can't remember where I left it," he growled. The pacing resumed. "But that's not the point. She's getting anxious, I can tell. We need to figure something out or we'll be in trouble. I think this is going faster than she expected."

The sound of a Coke can being popped open filled the air with a slight fizzing noise before she replied, "What can we do? If we run, she'll bankrupt our families. If we fight, she'll still bankrupt our families. Who can we get to help us? There's no one as powerful as she is. Not even that idiotic Suou or the Ootori third son. They've got their own problems as it is."

"Are you sure Kyouya has no way to help us?" Beppe's question left Renge feeling shocked for a moment until he continued, "She's already said he planned to do something that would make him richer than even his father. Perhaps if we asked him for help..."

"There's no way he would help me or anyone associated with me," was the bitter response to Beppe's hopeful suggestion.

Renge's brain began to turn with ideas and plans. She sat and ignored the conversation as she mulled over what she'd just heard. Apparently someone knew a lot more about Kyouya than he thought anyone did, and she was worried about how his plans played into the hands of the kidnapper. As she'd been listening to the conversations of Beppe and his annoyed girlfriend, she realized they weren't just holding her and Haruhi for entertainment.

The time she had spent listening to them revealed the two were deeply involved in trying to convince their families to let them wed. For whatever the reason, they had gone to the bloody wretch who ordered the kidnapping in the first place for advice. Beppe seemed to have opposed the idea from the very start, but his girlfriend was the one to push him into it. With that, Renge figured out, their fates were sealed. The woman had gone to their families--apparently she had a tie to the woman's--and convinced them she should assess the match and the possible financial productivity to both families and then give them her analysis. What Beppe and the woman didn't realize was how she would manipulate her assignment by forcing them into this horrid arrangement.

After making it visibly worse by forcing Beppe to pretend to be Haruhi's lover, the two were furious but had no means of escape. Renge understood that, to a certain extent, this never would have happened without the two because they were obviously the ones holding herself and Haruhi, and as she'd pieced the story together, she knew the last two captives were the most important to the crazy, old woman's plans. She also realized this meant one of the other hosts wasn't as safe and careful as he'd hoped to be.

However, the two never intended on falling into such a trap, and they were certainly not enjoying the arrangement. Renge wondered if some sort of bargain couldn't be made between herself and her unwilling captors. She knew her part in all this was something they were unfamiliar with, and as she tuned back in to their conversation, she realized she was the new topic of conversation.

"I just don't understand why we're holding Renge, though," she was saying. "She's going to force Haruhi to remember her past, and then what will happen? I can't imagine that going well for us. Why couldn't she have just hidden Renge somewhere else like she did all the others?"

Beppe sighed before answering, "I'm not sure, but I think there's something we don't know." He paused as she scoffed loudly. "I'm just saying Renge might know more than we think. Perhaps she's involved with someone in the host group? Or she has some sort of company connection we're unaware of?"

"Do you know that her father lives here?" The woman asked, not replying to this question. "He runs a rather large corporation centered mainly on the videogaming industry, but there's talk that he's making a large change soon. I hear he's going to be having Renge married off soon to a wealthy family that owns a business he can use to market newer, more advanced technology. They say it will be the best business match in years; though, no one's quite sure where Renge stands on this match."

Renge's breath caught in her throat. Something had happened, and now she was sure that their plans were being broadcasted in public, and he would not be happy to hear that.

"Where did you hear that?" Beppe's incredulous voice let her know he was not privy to such details.

"From her, of course," she replied, the derision in her voice making it perfectly clear who "her" was. "But I'm not sure everyone knows about this. It seems she has a lot of information we don't have, and I'm beginning to worry. I know Renge's family is powerful, but she seems to be afraid of this match. I don't see why, though."

Beppe hummed thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "I think the match itself isn't what worries her. I think it's the results of the match." He stopped talking, and Renge waited for him to continue. "No, really... perhaps this match would be even more powerful than her."

"Who could be that powerful? We know she's got our families by the throats, and Ootori's even wary of her." Renge smirked at that knowledge. It was something she'd have to tell him later. "I've heard Ootori-san wanted to make sure she could never take his family down, so he made some bad investments. You already know my part in all of that..."

Renge clenched her fists, remembering so clearly why this woman made her want to rip her hair out. "Because you almost stole the business right out from under him," Beppe sarcastically answered her unspoken question. "You and your father, with help from her, almost made Ootori lose his precious business empire. But his stupid third son had to get in the way."

"Not just Kyouya," she said, and Renge glared at the casual manner in which she spoke his name. "Haruhi. That's why she hates her so much. That's why we're here. It's all because of Haruhi and her stupid devotion to that Tamaki. Why else would she go to such lengths? She's a mad woman. This shibboleth crap she keeps spouting, the way she won't refer to Tamaki as anything but 'that woman's filth,' she's completely lost her mind!"

"And while her mind continues to go, we're stuck dealing with the crap from this botched plan of hers," Beppe said wryly. "You know we'll be put into prison. She won't even have a trace of her presence in this; somehow she'll be able to pin it all on us. And I don't think the Suou patriarch will be able to get out of prosecuting us. She'll find a way to keep us quiet."

The words were spoken solemnly, and Renge's eyes widened as she realized how true they were. She knew then that she had to help. Feeling her heart rate increase, she wondered if she wasn't about to make the biggest mistake of her life. Flexing her muscles slightly, she drew in a deep breath and then released it slowly, relaxing as she did so. Her hand sought the phone in her pocket briefly, feeling pleased at its comforting presence and the connection it gave her to the outside world; then, not wanting to be caught with it if anything went awry, she quickly hid it in the room before exiting.

Standing before the door to the room they were in, Renge paused, trying to decide whether to knock or simply enter. Never one given to fear and feeling no respect for the two within, she pushed the door open firmly, smirking slightly when they looked up in surprise.

"You two seem to have a problem," she said. "Now that Haruhi is beginning to regain her memories, you'll be in trouble if she finds out. And since most of the maids here are on her paycheck, it won't take long for her to find out."

"So what?" The woman spat, looking at her hatefully. "It won't matter anyway because that idiotic Tamaki and his friends will never find her, and you'll never see her again."

Renge smiled at that, feeling triumphant when her adversary looked at her askance. "Are you saying that because you mean it? Or because you're trying to convince yourself it's true? Because either way, you're wrong. You're so very wrong, and once they come here to retrieve Haruhi, the Suou and Ootori families will sue you for wrongful imprisonment. And you'll never see the light of day again."

Beppe stood, shielding his girlfriend protectively. "You're stupid if you think we'll even let them near this house. They won't be able to find you two if you've already been taken away. Besides, if she doesn't want you found, then that's how it will be."

Poor comfort, Renge thought to herself, looking at his slightly sweating face and trembling hands. "Let's not lie, Beppe. The old bat's senile and won't be able to keep up this charade much longer. You'll go down, and even if anyone suspects her of a thing, her money's good enough to keep the naysayers quiet for a very long time. Unfortunately, you two are the mice who fell into the paws of the cat... a very old, wicked, sadistic cat."

Beppe and her nemesis exchanged glances, and Renge grinned victoriously when she noted their fear. She wanted them to be afraid. She would get her revenge now before they had a chance to find out she was going to help them. But, as she noticed their fear, she also saw that Beppe was looking sadder, more morose. And the hated woman was beyond herself with distress, a tear creeping surreptitiously down the side of her face. She dashed it away angrily.

"What's you point?" She asked Renge pointedly. "Are you coming to gloat? It's not like you'll be able to go back to Japan anyway. She's got your father and his company right where she wants it. You're stupid if you think she won't rip the silver spoon right out of the palm of your hand before she lets you go. She hates you as much as she does Haruhi."

"I know," Renge replied calmly, looking her straight in the eyes. "I know she hates me, and it's the reason why she hates me that I'm standing here now. My father's company is going down the tubes fast, and she'll buy it out from under his nose as soon as she finds a way to. We've known that for ages, and that's why Father has never trusted her."

Beppe looked at her skeptically, but Renge stopped his coming question by continuing. "Don't you think we'd find a way to stop her? We're not that stupid. Father and his advisors agreed on a plan of action because no one wants her to sink her talons into the company. He's liquidated," she said simply, not admitting defeat or resignation, merely stating a fact. They looked at her blankly. "Don't you get it? He liquidated the company into a different account. We don't own it anymore."

Beppe's jaw dropped. "But she said you all were going bankrupt soon... that the company couldn't survive the economic crisis. She said your father was doing everything he could to keep it in his clutches; that's why he's encouraging his employees to buy as much stock as possible, so he won't lose everything. How can... how did this happen?"

Renge grinned at their awe-struck faces, "Easy. We do one thing in secret: liquidate the company. And we do the other in public: create the facade of a crumbling corporation. By doing that, she thinks we're falling and tries to worm her way into buying us out, and we gain a formidable alliance with a company known primarily for its power."

The woman gasped softly and breathed out, "You didn't..."

Renge glared at her before saying, "Yes, Eclair, we did. And now you two are going to help me and Haruhi help you."

---

"There are several things I believe I have figured out," Kyouya finally, slowly replied, staring evenly at the twins, "however, because I am not positive, I believe I will keep those things to myself."

"Who called you earlier?" Hikaru demanded to know. He was growing angrier at Kyouya's evasiveness.

"Tamaki, obviously," Kyouya replied with a hint of a smirk. His eyes narrowed when Hikaru growled slightly in response. "My previous caller is none of your business, Hikaru."

"Who do you think you are?" Hikaru yelled, jumping to his feet in his anger. "What? You think you can simply sit back and figure everything out and then mock us as we try to put the pieces together? I knew you were sadistic, but Haruhi's life is on the line!"

Kaoru stood with his brother, putting a reassuring arm around his twin, but Hikaru shrugged it off angrily as he continued his tirade. "You've always been this way. Always making us wonder what your motives were, trying to keep us from figuring things out, putting Haruhi in danger. Don't shake your head at me, Kyouya! You let her follow Milord when he was going to France. She fell out of the carriage because of you!"

"Actually," Kyouya interjected softly, "she fell out of the carriage because the two of you let her take it alone after it wrecked. You both know it was broken from the accident, but you told her to keep going. And I thought you were happy about that."

"Shut up!" Hikaru hissed viciously. Toru and Kanako looked shocked and scared by this outburst. Kaoru stared at Hikaru, standing uneasily next to the twin he loved but couldn't quite understand now. "You always put her in danger, and now you know something we don't! You won't tell us because it brings you sick pleasure to watch us, like you're some great lord or something. Well, I'm telling you right now that you will tell us exactly what you know because Haruhi. Is. In. Danger." He paused for a moment, taking great, gasping breaths, before he finally glared once more at the Shadow King and said, "She could be dead for all we know."

Silence filled the room with that horrific thought. Kaoru looked repulsed and visibly shaken at such an idea. Kanako buried her face in Toru's shoulder as he held her tightly, rubbing her back and staring at the group before him, shock written across his face. Kyouya, however, looked as unaffected as ever, but Kaoru and Hikaru noticed his eyes were troubled by something.

Before anyone could speak to break the silence, it was effectively broken with the banging of the door as Tamaki and crew entered the room.

"Mon ami, we know where Nekozawa-san is," he crowed excitedly, running over to Kyouya and patting him affectionately on the back, seeming to not notice the tense atmosphere. "Kasanoda said Reiko found a file telling her where everyone but Renge and Haruhi were, and they're on their way to rescue Nekozawa right now! Isn't it wonderful? We won't have to..."

Tamaki trailed off as he realized no one had moved since he entered the room. He looked around, seeing Kanako staring at him as if he'd grown a second head, Toru mimicking the look on her face. The twins were standing across from Kyouya, Hikaru with his narrowed eyes fixed angrily on Kyouya's impassive face, and Kaoru looking in shock at the group who had just entered. Tamaki stepped slightly back from the incensed Hikaru, wondering what could have happened.

Hunny and Mori had, upon entering the room, assessed the situation correctly, and now both cousins moved swiftly, Mori to Hikaru's side and Hunny to Kyouya's. They looked grim with the determination that things--whatever those things were before they'd arrived--would not escalate any further. The fathers stood slightly inside the opened door, but both Ranka-san and Yuzuru moved inside the room and shut the door swiftly behind them when they realized something was very, very wrong.

"What's going on?" Tamaki asked, directing his question to Kyouya. It was the wrong thing to ask.

"What's going on?" Hikaru mimicked sarcastically, directing his anger at Tamaki. "What's going on?! We're chasing after a psychotic kidnapper who's managed to keep us up nearly 48 hours straight, and we still haven't got a clue where Renge and Haruhi are. They could be dead for all we know! That's right, Kyouya," Hikaru said, having caught a subtle change in Kyouya's countenance at that last thought. "Renge and Haruhi could be dead! And you know something that you won't tell us!"

Tamaki turned in shock to face his best friend, eyes pleading with him for information, but before he could speak, Kyouya's mouth opened, and what he said surprised everyone.

"Renge and Haruhi are not dead. I spoke to Renge myself, and I know where they are."

With that pronouncement, all hell broke loose.

..........

_Author's Note: Yes, I managed to get it closer to the end! And I still haven't compromised everything... though I did give a great deal away in this chapter. And if you've figured out my tricks and traps, good for you! I look forward to how the rest of the chapters will go; now that I have an ending to build on, I feel the last chapters will be rather easier to write. _

_Thank you all to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciated it and will enjoy replying to your reviews shortly! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, and thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! (By the way, if you felt Hikaru was a bit OOC, don't worry; so did I! But that's what happens in tense situations, you know? So, he'll be normal again soon, I promise!)_

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hey guys, I apologize about the delay in this chapter! It's been a long couple of months, and classes are hammering me (that's what you get for being a senior in college, you know). So, with no further ado, I present the tenth chapter in our lovely story, and I apologize in advance for any gross errors in spelling or grammar that might have occurred. _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Ten**

**By: Rae**

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

"I don't understand how you believe you'll be able to help us," Eclair spat out angrily, glaring at Renge with no small amount of incredulity lingering in her eyes. "Even if you did liquidate, that makes you even more powerless than before. She'll crush your father and you."

Renge stared at her for a moment before asking, "Are you really that stupid? I did mention an alliance with another company, didn't I? What did you think I meant by that?"

"Oh, I'm sure you meant that you're hanging onto one of those ridiculous host club goons you insisted on moving to Japan to befriend," Eclair's voice dripped sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. "I mean, it's common knowledge that you easily fled France for Japan after that botched engagement."

Beppe put a cautious hand on Eclair's arm and shushed her, saying, "Stop it, Eclair. You're making this worse. Besides, you haven't given her a chance to explain." So saying, he leveled a serious gaze on the woman standing before them, her hands on her hips. "You would do well to speak quickly and get to the point. We've wasted enough time on you already."

Renge grinned in a completely triumphant manner that had the two lovers exchanging wary glances. "Just because you're my captors doesn't mean I'm at all inclined to explain everything to you," she informed them casually. "Besides, it's not as if you hold the winning hand in this game. You're merely the pawns, and unfortunately for you, the one holding the winning hand is _not_ that foul woman who dragged us here for her perverse entertainment."

Eclair stood up, matching Renge's stance and spat back, "And you would do well to remember that you are not at liberty to leave this house. Or have you forgotten that you've no idea where you are and that poor, precious _Haruhi_ doesn't have her memories?"

"No, I haven't forgotten that at all," Renge replied easily, leaning against the nearby wall. "And I'm sure Tamaki won't forget it either when he arrives." She smirked in satisfaction seeing the twin expressions of shock flit across her captors faces. Her satisfaction faltered slowly as the door slammed open.

"Tamaki is coming here?" Arianne asked, walking haltingly into the room, her hands clasped in front of her. "I'll see my Tama again?" She looked hopefully at Renge, who felt abashed at the joy she saw in the maid's eyes.

"Um..." Renge began awkwardly, suddenly realizing the power had shifted once again. This time, however, she knew what her captors did not and could still get things swiftly back under control.

"You will be sent back to the manor, Arianne," Eclair imperiously stated, glaring at the impertinent maid who dared to enter the room on their conversation. "I'm afraid you will not be seeing Tamaki _if_ he manages to make it here."

Renge glared at the look on the other woman's face. "You would be wise to note that the host club is full of intelligent members who are out looking for Haruhi and myself as well as the others. Tamaki _will_ be here soon, and you'll have to face up to your actions."

"That idiot Tamaki couldn't even figure out how he was tricked into almost coming back to France to see his mother again the first time," Eclair trilled out shrilly, her face twisted in a sneer. "I'm certain he couldn't find his way here if we were to literally send him a map with the manor marked out for him." Renge noted how the woman turned away from Arianne's hurt expression at her degrading comments about Tamaki.

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" A new voice entered the room, pausing all motion. They turned as one to see Haruhi enter the room, her eyes clouded over in memory. "Why can't I remember anything? _Who am I_?" Her voice rose in intensity as angry eyes focused on the room at large.

Renge gulped, wondering how to handle the suddenly angry friend she loved so much. Glancing around the room, she could tell the others, not as adept at dealing with Haruhi, were at a complete loss, and she choked back a giggle, sobering as Haruhi's angry gaze rested on her.

* * *

It was nearing midnight when Kasanoda and Reiko exited the Kasanoda car and walked sedately up to the Nekozawa beachside mansion. Reiko knocked on the door, and the two waited in silence for someone to answer. Kasanoda stood beside his slight classmate and noticed her shoulders slump as she leaned her weight on one leg. He realized how tired he was as he watched her yawn, and he was about to suggest she go back to the car and rest when light poured over them as the door opened.

"May I help--oh, Kanazuki-san, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" The creepily attired butler asked, grinning an oily grin at his master's friend. He bowed briefly and ushered the two into the mansion.

Reiko smiled slightly as the butler and maid clucked at their appearances; they had always been the sweetest people she knew, even among her own circle of hired help. "Actually," she began, "we were wondering if you had seen Umehito recently."

The butler looked confused for a moment before answering carefully, "No, Kanazuki-san, we haven't. Actually, Nekozawa-sama sent Kurimi-san here last night after discovering his son's disappearance. We've come with her to make sure everything would be all right even though the master was told that his son was helping with a field trip. Is everything all right?"

By this time the two had been led into the nearest sitting room, and Kasanoda took the opportunity to ask Reiko a question, "If he's here, where would they have put him? You've been here before, right?"

Reiko nodded absently before a gleam appeared in her eyes. "Sano-san, has Kurimi visited the skull at all today?"

"Of course not," the maid interrupted the surly-faced butler to say, eyes widening in shock. "She's afraid of the dark; we would never take her to the skull."

Reiko smirked at that. "Of course," she said quickly. "I forgot momentarily. That's where Umehito is."

The butler and maid looked affronted as Sano interjected, "How could the master's son be here, Kanazuki-san? He went on a field trip, and he..."

"No," Kasanoda now said, "he didn't. He was kidnapped, and we're here to rescue him."

The two servants gasped, horrified at the very thought. "Could you get some flashlights and perhaps a knife?" Reiko asked quietly. "To cut through any ropes that might be holding him," she added when Sano-san gave her a strange look. The two nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Reko and Kasanoda alone. "Hopefully we'll be done soon and be able to get some rest."

Kasanoda nodded. "I'm sure they'll allow you to stay here tonight," he offered politely. His long day and night had caught up to him, and he was afraid he might fall asleep in the car on the way back home.

"You'll stay too, right?" Reiko asked, giving him a small smile. "I'm sure Umehito would want you to stay as well. After all, you are here to rescue him."

A flood of relief sent him slumping into his seat, and he grinned at her. No words were needed or even allowed as the two servants arrived back in the room with the required items. The two took a simultaneous breath and stood, following Sano-san out the door and through the back of the house to the back door. After exiting the mansion, Kasanoda found himself hit with a wave of sea air that invigorated him, and he followed the path the three ahead of him took, flashing his light here and there to see where he was.

They arrived, and Ritsu took a step back in shock. Reiko hadn't been kidding when she called this place the skull, and he was suddenly reminded painfully of the Black Magic Club and the very strange president they were entering this cave to find. Steeling himself, he followed the other three into the cave as they began calling for Nekozawa and shining their lights in all different directions.

Without stopping, Ritsu watched as the three ahead of him confidently stepped around a corner, and he jogged forward when he heard the simultaneous cries of Reiko and the maid. Rounding the corner, Kasanoda saw an almost unconscious Nekozawa being cut free from his bonds as he slowly awakened. Reiko hugged him closely when he finally looked alert enough to recognize the people around him.

"Oh Umehito, I'm so glad we found you!" Reiko's exclamation and familiarity with her friend caused Ritsu to raise a speculative eyebrow. He knew the girl was still actively dating Hunny-senpai, but when he was finally able to look at the two more closely, he realized the familiarity came of an old friendship.

Nekozawa took a moment to respond before saying, "What happened? Where are we, Reiko-san?" Kasanoda noted the closed glance he received from his former classmate before turning back to his childhood friend.

"We are at the summer manor, master," Sano-san interjected, bowing slightly when his surprised charge glanced at him. "Your friends tell me you were kidnapped."

They all saw the moment the memory rushed back to him as Nekozawa shook his head. "Oh, yes," he said dumbly, eyes searching, "we were kidnapped, weren't we? We were having lunch..."

"That's right, Umehito," Reiko replied, smiling at him calmly. "If you can stand, we'll go back to the manor for some tea and discuss all that's been happening. Though I would suggest that you go to bed; you aren't looking so good."

Nekozawa ignored the suggestion as he scrambled to his feet, swaying slightly before righting himself. "Why are you here, Kasanoda-san?" The question was asked in a neutral tone, and Kasanoda could see that Nekozawa remembered his being a part of the group in the dirty prison.

"My men rescued Reiko-san and me when were still at that nasty house," he drawled in reply. "They weren't able to find you after the men took you away, but after we interrogated them a bit, Reiko was able to figure out where you were being held. Everyone else has already been rescued," he added when it appeared Nekozawa wanted to ask a question.

A beat passed as the group exchanged glances. Then it occurred to Kasanoda to explain further, "Actually, that's not entirely true. They haven't found Hoshakuji-san or Haruhi yet, but I'm sure they will with Tamaki on the loose." He chuckled at the thought of an unbridled blonde running the streets, sniffing for signs of Haruhi.

Nekozawa's eyes widened, and he said, "They kidnapped Haruhi as well? And the host club is looking for her?" Kasanoda nodded, feeling surprise at Nekozawa's innate knowledge that the host club was in on the search. "Where is Hunny-senpai?" He turned to Reiko for an answer.

"He's with the rest of the group at the hospital," she supplied when Ritsu remained silent. "They're working on finding out where Haruhi and Renge are, but they had to go to the hospital with Ayanokoji-senpai when she became ill."

A pale, thin hand came to rest on Nekozawa's cheek as a strange light entered his eyes. "Ayanokoji-senpai? How interesting. I'm amazed that she would go as far as all this."

"Who? What do you know, Nekozawa-senpai?" Kasanoda's angry voice crashed into the musing young man's thoughts, but he was prevented from answering when he suddenly swooned, falling into a dead faint, to the shock of all in the cave.

"Umehito? Umehito!" Reiko knelt down and shook her friend, trying to wake him. She jerked away from him a moment later and picked up her flashlight in surprise, shining it on the palm of her left hand. The light revealed a massive amount of blood. Her eyes widened, and she jumped up in shock, shivering and shaking.

Seeing this, Kasanoda took command. "Pick him up," he ordered Sano-san while carefully lifting a still shivering Reiko into his arms. He waited until Sano had done as commanded before turning to the maid. "Call a family doctor. We need to keep this quiet or else something could happen to Renge and Haruhi. Hurry now; we need to get them back to the house."

The three walked carefully down the path, trying not to disturb their two burdens as they went. Three hours and one disgruntled doctor later, Kasanoda climbed into a guest bed at the Nekozawa mansion, pulling the covers over his tired head. The idiot captors had dropped Nekozawa's unconscious body on a particularly sharp rock when they left him in the skull cave, and he was steadily losing blood. The doctor had been able to stop the bleeding and make him more comfortable, and Nekozawa was sleeping. For Reiko, the doctor prescribed a small amount of sedatives, which she had gratefully taken and gone straight to bed.

Kasanoda flipped off the lamp next to the bed, hoping tomorrow he could get answers. It appeared Reiko and Nekozawa knew more about what was going on than they were willing to share, but Ritsu knew ways of coercing information out of people. And he wasn't going to let the recalcitrant Black Magic Club members get the better of him. His eyes slowly closed as visions of beating the moronic kidnappers danced in his head.

* * *

"You obviously know something you're not telling me, and Arianne says you won't tell her anything either," Haruhi's cold voice closed in on Renge, and she paled slightly at the accusation. "I don't understand; I feel like you're my only real friend here, but you haven't said a word."

"Haru--er-- Emilia," Renge spat out the hated name, wanting to rip her own tongue out. She opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted.

"That is not my name," Haruhi said pointedly, causing both Beppe and Eclair to blanche, something that did not escape the intelligent girl's notice. "You've been lying to me from the beginning. I know a liar when I see one, and you haven't been able to produce a single bit of history for me to confirm that I am this Emilia you insist on calling me. Either tell me who I am or don't call me anything at all." Her ire growing, Haruhi's eyes flashed in fury that scared her captors and Arianne. Renge, however, was emboldened by this change.

"You are Fujioka Haruhi, from Japan," Renge responded, daring the others to comment as she glared at them. "These people have kidnapped both of us on the orders of some insane old bat who wants to keep you from your true love."

Haruhi's eyes clouded over, but the puzzled expression on her face almost stopped Renge from continuing. "I was, however, just telling them how they can help us help them get out of the old bat's clutches. I just need to get into contact with a good friend and..."

"No!" The shout scared Renge for a moment as she jumped and looked at Ecliar. "You will not be contacting anyone. I don't care what you think you can do; it's not going to happen! She'll find out, and we'll be screwed. Absolutely not!" The shrill note in her voice belied her panic as Beppe put a soothing hand on her shoulder, trying to calm his lover.

Renge shook her head pityingly as she replied, "Unfortunately for you, it won't take them long to figure out what's going on. How much information do you have on their current progress anyway? I'm sure the old bat hasn't given you all the information she has." She paused when Beppe's eyes narrowed slightly, confirming her suspicion that they were relying on the woman to give them information. "Besides, I can get you the support of three families. I won't guarantee support from the other members of the host club, but I can get you my father's support as well as that of the Suou and Ootori families." She glared when Eclair choked out a strangled laugh, eyes wild.

"You've really lost it, haven't you?" The witch cackled, smirking at Renge. She noticed that Arianne and Haruhi took uncertain steps back and steeled herself, setting her shoulders and refusing to be intimidated. "You have no way to ensure either of those families would support us, and your own father is penniless now! What happened when they kidnapped you? Did they drop you on your head?" She taunted Renge with a sinister smirk and chuckle that Renge hated.

"No, actually," she replied somewhat calmly, taking deep breaths, "but you wouldn't know much about liquidation, now would you, Eclair? I suppose I should tell you the truth. My father liquidated into another company and gained a protective alliance. He liquidated into KO Industries, and the owner of the company has promised to keep him instated as the head of our company once this mess about the economy clears up."

Renge saw it the moment Eclair registered what was said. The crazy look left her eyes as the color left her skin, and the woman slumped into her chair miserably. "KO Industries?" She asked weakly. Renge nodded. "Perhaps we can help you after all then."

"I was hoping you would say that," Renge beamed at Eclair even as Beppe stared incredulously at his lover and captive. "I would suggest that we all sit down and discuss this because I've put quite a bit of thought into how we can work things out most advantageously to all of us." Gesturing to Haruhi and Arianne, she beckoned them to the two empty chairs as Beppe and Eclair resumed their prior seating arrangement.

The three stared at each other in silence for a minute before Renge sighed and began to speak. "First of all, you are going to have to let me be in contact with the host club," she said, looking pointedly at Beppe and Eclair. "This won't work if I can't give them the information they need to outmaneuver the old bat. So unless you're willing to let me contact them..."

"Fine, fine," Beppe said, nearly growling the answer. His eyes flashed as he said, "But this had better work. If I find you've screwed us over just to get out of here, I will find a way to get my revenge."

Renge grinned happily and responded, "Don't worry; I know what I'm doing. Now you're going to have to feed her some false information, and I believe I can get the host club here within the week to rescue Haruhi and me. You all won't face charges as long as you cooperate with me and the hosts. They'll want all the information you can give about the kidnappings."

Eclair and Beppe exchanged a glance before Eclair said, "All right. We can do that. But you have to assure us that we won't have to face any kind of prosecution and no harm will come to our families. I'd like to keep this as quiet as possible."

Renge nodded enthusiastically. "Trust me," she said, winking, "I'm sure the hosts will agree to keeping this quiet as well. There are multiple reasons they would want to keep it quiet anyway, not to mention the old bat's reasons."

"What about me?" Haruhi's quiet voice asked, startling the three scheming in the middle of the room. Arianne was sitting next to the girl, eyes alert but silent, and Renge noticed that Haruhi's calm was tremulous, easily the most volatile thing in the room at the moment. "What about my memories? My life? My past?"

"We'll try to help you put the pieces together, Haruhi," Renge said, making a decision to call her friend by her true name.

Before she could continue explaining her plans, however, Beppe spoke up. "We can't do that," he said, noting her scowl. "She would find out from the maids within days. We would be in jail before the hosts could get here, and you two would be locked up somewhere else with someone who wouldn't be as keen to help you out."

Arianne nodded her support. "That's true," she said. "According to Rhoda in the kitchens, the maids are supposed to spy on you all at all times. You're constantly being watched unless you go somewhere the maids don't know about... which isn't likely."

Renge looked horrified as the implications of this settled in. "It's okay, Miss Renge," Arianne said, smiling. "I offered to take watch during times that seemed to be more... suspicious. Of course, they don't know this, and I haven't reported anything that needed to be kept quiet." Looking at Beppe and Eclair, she added, "For you as well."

"Well," Beppe remarked, narrowing his eyes, "I wonder how we can help get ourselves out of this situation if we're constantly being spied upon..."

"I have an idea," Haruhi volunteered, three pair of curious eyes upon her. The gleam in her eyes was similar to one that Renge had seen when Haruhi got the twins back for tricking her in school or when she was calculating what gains Kyouya might get out of a situation. Seeing it, Renge smirked; this would be good.

* * *

"You spoke to Renge?!"

"Where are they?"

"What is going on, Kyouya?"

"How could you speak to Renge?!"

"Haruhi's alive?!"

The outburst nearly drove Kyouya back against the wall, but he stood tall, determined not to let his friends' anger get the best of the situation. The last comment, coming from Tamaki, seemed to be the only thing that the blond could comprehend before he passed out. Both Ranka-san and Yuzuru caught him before he hit the floor and laid him carefully on the now empty bed.

Looking at his friend, Kyouya recognized the signs of shock and exhaustion and made a swift decision. "We cannot go to Haruhi now," he told them, holding a hand up to ward off any protests, "but I will set up a flight to leave tomorrow afternoon, and we should be there by the following morning. It won't be long now."

Hikaru started in on his former classmate. "What are you going to do now, Kyouya? You've left us in the dark this long, and now you're just suddenly going to let us go to Haruhi, just like that?" His eyes flashed in anger, and the implication was clear as the room suddenly seemed to grow cold.

Anger of his own flared in Kyouya, and he could not hold back from the tongue lashing his insolent friend deserved. "If I knew where Renge was, don't you think I would have gone to her from the beginning, screw the consequences?! This isn't a game you foolish twit; I have things of my own riding on this, and you are making it impossible for me to make preparations to get back what is ours." The irate tone of voice lowered to the deepest level Hikaru had ever heard it, and Kyouya's eyes fastened on him, narrowed and almost black in their intensity.

"I believe we need to take the night to rest and recuperate," Hunny authoritatively said, gathering strength from his cousin who nodded in agreement. "Everyone should go home and..."

"I'm staying here," Kaoru interjected, eyes narrowed at anyone who might interfere. "I'm going to make sure she's all right." He glared at Kyouya, daring him to contradict the younger twin's words.

Kyouya nodded slightly and said, "You can remain in here, and you will not be disturbed. Or you can move to a room closer to Ayanokoji-san's."

The two glared at one another as Hunny continued, "Everyone else should go home and get some rest. We can meet back up tomorrow morning to discuss our plans and what we need to take with us to rescue Haruhi and Renge."

After some discussion, Hikaru was persuaded, mainly by his brother and the cousins, to go home and get some much needed rest while Kaoru stayed with Hideyo. Yuzuru offered to take Ranka and Tamaki home as well as Toru and Kanako, who were told they were not needed if they would like to simply enjoy themselves. Kaoru promised to keep them informed about what happened, but the two expressed an interest in helping and agreed to meet back up the following morning.

The cousins planned to head to their respective homes and were going to meet up with Kasanoda and Reiko early in the morning before meeting with their friends. Kyouya explained that he would book his flight to leave mid-afternoon so everyone could have enough time to prepare.

Yuzuru took Ranka to his apartment, promising to pick him up at 9 a.m. to meet the group and then took a still unconscious Tamaki home. The maids took him directly to his room to fuss over him while Yuzuru left for the main house.

Hand on his cell, Yuzuru paced his small study, wondering if he should make the call. Finally deciding it would be better to do it now when he had the chance than to hope he would find the time to do it later, he punched the speed dial for a man he'd known almost twenty years.

"Honda," the clipped voice sounded over the phone, and Yuzuru sighed in relief.

"Honda-san," he began, no greeting required, "I need to speak with you. Are you busy?"

"I'm just leaving the office, Suou," the brusque reply greeted his ears. "What can I do for you?"

"Can we meet in the usual place? Twenty minutes? And can you bring it?" Yuzuru's voice pitched slightly higher as he asked the last question. He held his breath, knowing his friend would understand.

"You're serious?" Honda's voice was tinged with a bit of awe. "But you said you wouldn't do it til..."

"I know that, Honda, but I have no choice," Yuzuru interrupted. "If I don't do it now, everything will be cut off, and I won't be able to do it later. Haruhi's been kidnapped."

A loud whistle pierced the silence of the study, and Yuzuru pulled the phone away from his ear. "Dang. I never knew she had it in her. Well, I'll be there. Are you sure, Yuzuru?"

Nodding his head to affirm his choice to himself, Yuzuru replied, "Yes, Honda, I am. I'll see you there." He hung up before he could talk himself out of it. Going to his desk, he pulled out his official seal as well as the necessary documents and grabbed his coat before calling for his driver.

Two hours later, a haggard-looking Yuzuru stepped back into the main house, looking for all the world like he was going to collapse. But the spark was back in his eyes as he marched resolutely up the stairs and flung himself into bed. He knew it was only a matter of time now before the fireworks began, but he wasn't going to simply let everyone walk over him this time around.

* * *

_A/N: I know this was much shorter than my other chapters, and for that I apologize, but I still hope you enjoyed it! I tried to keep as much of the mystery up as possible, but I'm not sure that's going to last very long. Can you guess what Yuzuru has done? It's all falling into place, and I can't wait to unveil the answer to the mystery! I will respond to the reviews I've received, and I thank you for keeping me going with your reviews! Let me know what you thought, and I'll try to get the next chapter out in a more timely manner! Thanks everyone!_

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_

_P.S. I tried to insert lines instead of doing the usual dashes/dots thing to break up the parts of the chapter, so if it all blends together, I apologize and will fix it later! _


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Here's the next installment of my story. **Two important notes!!** First, I want to clarify Beppe's full name; it is Giuseppe De Luca. You'll see the last name in this chapter, so I wanted to make it clear. Second, the flashback Haruhi has is taken directly from the manga, so all quotes used in it are those translated in the manga; don't get mad if they sound awkward! Ok, onto the story!_

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Eleven**

**By: Rae**

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

The next morning found Reiko reunited with Hunny and a blushing Kasanoda watching the reunion embarrassedly. Nekozawa had yet to awaken from his deep, restorative sleep, but that was only a matter of time. Hunny and Mori arrived early to visit the group and began to explain what Kyouya was planning.

"I would like to go with you, Mitsukuni," Reiko said softly, her hand on his arm. "I want to help with Haruhi and Renge if I can. And I think I have some information that might be helpful to you. Though I imagine it wouldn't be wise to let all the hosts know what I've figured out."

Mori looked curious at that statement but allowed Hunny to handle questioning. "Well, I don't know, Reiko. It might be dangerous. Kyouya hasn't really said anything yet, but we still don't know who's holding them or why."

"I can guess the why part for at least one of the captives," she responded, looking stubbornly at him. "However, I can't tell you if you leave me here."

"Mitsukuni." Mori's deep voice broke in, and Kasanoda saw him nod at the smaller man.

"Oh my, I didn't expect visitors this early," Nekozawa said, interrupting them and walking into the sitting room, looking refreshed. "Welcome Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san. Reiko, you were going to explain what's been going on?"

The leading question gave her pause, and she looked longingly at Hunny before resuming her seat. The rest of the group did the same, and a few minutes later Sano-san and Yana, the maid, entered with trays of food for everyone. The group talked over breakfast, and Nekozawa was informed of all the details concerning the kidnapping.

Eventually something nagged at Kasanoda and he voiced his thoughts. "But Nekozawa-san, you said something that confused me yesterday, something about Ayanokoji-san. What was it? I'm having trouble remembering. Something about her going too far or some such nonsense. What did you mean by that?"

All eyes were now focused on Nekozawa, two pair more ardently than the rest. He glanced at them and then began to speak, "Well, it's nothing big, really. I happen to know Ayanokoji-senpai better than most people because we were engaged." The group's eyes all widened. "Hideyo used to be my fiance until her father grew angry with the arrangement. Not that I really mind; there is no love lost between us."

"Umehito, you never told me you were engaged to her," Reiko chastised softly, putting a hand on his arm to comfort him.

"That's because it was kept quiet. We weren't going to announce anything until the wedding; it would have been last month had we kept up the arrangement," he replied, looking around at them calmly. "But, like I said, Hideyo's father was angry that she hadn't made a better match, and he began scheming to break the engagement. We went on a few dates to make our parents, mostly my father, happy, and we became friends; however, when she grew ill, we stopped seeing one another so she could get treated in the States."

Hunny and Mori looked perfectly knowledgeable about her illness while Reiko and Kasanoda were now completely at sea. Nekozawa explained, "She began experiencing severe symptoms of an illness we couldn't define. After visiting various doctors, all of them had the same reaction; they believed she had tuberculosis. Unfortunately, the symptoms were different enough that they wouldn't give her that diagnosis, so eventually her father sent her to the States, and she found out what she really had. It was a morphed strain of the illness that had developed due to poor nutrition, among other things. Hideyo was there for more than a year, trying to get herself well again. When she came back, she contacted me, even though the engagement had been called off, and she was terrified of something her father had done."

Kasanoda was the one who asked, "Did he go into some kind of debt?"

Nekozawa nodded. "Yes, the medical payments were overwhelming, and the Ayanokojis had already lost a good deal to bad stocks and other business problems. In the end, Ayanokoji-san made a deal with someone who offered to pay off the debt for free. It all rested on Hideyo, however, and when she came back, she found out she was expected to play a part in something that was going to happen over the next few weeks. I never would have guessed it had something to do with our kidnappings."

Hunny looked contemplative as he said, "So Hideyo knew we were going to be kidnapped then. Do you think she faked her illness so we couldn't get to Haruhi and Renge in time, Takashi?"

"Absolutely not," Nekozawa spoke up. "Hideyo's not spiteful like that, not anymore. She was terrified that she would be forced into an arranged marriage; that's what she told me. I even offered to elope with her if she really felt like she couldn't handle the deal, but she turned me down. She said she didn't want me to be hurt as well. I'm fairly certain that she would never do something like this with the intention of hurting anyone, especially not the Hosts or myself or Reiko."

"Why not us?" Hunny asked viciously, remembering Kaoru's fury over his belief that Kyouya had hurt Hideyo-san.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone this," Nekozawa began, running a hand through his hair nervously, "but the deal Hideyo's father made was with Suou-san."

"Yuzuru-san?" Hunny's incredulous voice reached his ears, and Nekozawa blanched.

"No, not Yuzuru-san, Haninozuka," he said, looking grimly at them. "Suou Takako."

The silence was devastating. This was the confirmation Hunny and Mori needed to believe that the kidnappings really were all about Tamaki. As the group sat in silence, Hunny's cell phone rang. A few minutes later, he hung up the phone, having gotten directions from Kyouya on when to meet and where for their flight out.

Talk turned a moment later to what would happen to the rest of the group. When Reiko found out that Kanako and Toru planned to accompany the Hosts to find Haruhi and Renge, she refused to be left out.

"But what about those thugs that kidnapped us?" Kasanoda asked, cracking his knuckles ominously. "What are we supposed to do with them?"

"I think we will have to deal with them after we return," Hunny answered, his eyes lighting with a familiar evil glint. "But we do need a place to keep them and someone to guard them."

Kasanoda sighed, realizing he was going to be left out once again. "I'll do it," he said. "My men have been watching them for a while now anyway, but you'd better tell Haruhi that I was rooting for her all along, okay, senpai?"

Hunny nodded to him seriously, and then Nekozawa said, "I believe I might have just the accommodations required to make our kidnappers feel right at home. We could-er- relocate them to the Skull. What do you think, Kasanoda-san?"

The two grinned at each other, showing their teeth and uniting in a plan to make the kidnappers lives miserable while they waited for news on Haruhi and Renge. "Yeah, I think we could manage that," Kasanoda drawled.

Thus it was settled. Reiko, Hunny, and Mori quickly said their goodbyes and left to gather things they might need for their trip while the two men left plotted how and when to bring the thugs to the Skull, allowing Sano and Yana to help give some rather gruesome ideas.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yuzuru finished locking up his filing cabinet. Pulling the small suitcase behind him, he walked out of his office, letting his gaze fall over various items and then smiling softly before exiting. Downstairs he was surprised to find that the maids had allowed Tamaki to enter the front of the Suou mansion and his son was pacing the foyer.

"What did I miss? Where is Haruhi? Oh, Kyouya won't answer his phone!" Tamaki's frazzled voice reminded Yuzuru that his son passed out before he could hear the plans.

"Go back to the other mansion, Tamaki," Yuzuru now commanded gently. "Pack a bag for at least a week; we're going to rescue Haruhi and Renge today. Kyouya's made all the arrangements."

Two hours later, the two men were in the car on their way to pick up Ranka-san, whose bag looked more like he had thrown all his clothes on top of his sheets, pulled them together and sewn them closed. The three settled into the limo for the hour-long drive to the small airport they would be meeting Kyouya in.

Once they arrived, Yuzuru was not surprised to see Kyouya, Toru, Kanako, the twins, and even a pale Hideyo hanging onto Kaoru's arm waiting for them. He was, however, surprised to see Reiko arrive with the cousins when they came in fifteen minutes later.

"Ah, I'm glad you all could make it," Kyouya drawled, slightly amused by the addition of Reiko. "I suppose you're ready to board the plane now, then?" They nodded as one. "Well, let's go."

The group followed a stoic Kyouya to the end of the small airport. "Kyou-chan," Hunny asked, "isn't this the airport we've heard about where people go who don't want to be found?"

"It is, Hunny-senpai," Kyouya replied easily. "I'm afraid there are too many people who are monitoring our progress in Japan to allow us easy passage to where Haruhi and Renge are being kept. I took the liberty of booking us on one of these private jets because they are beyond discreet and do not allow just anyone into the airport."

They continued their walk in silence, arriving at the boarding dock and quickly shuffled into the plane. It was a nice jet albeit somewhat small, and the group spread out in the seats that were available. Tamaki sat next to Kyouya, who had surprisingly asked the blonde to join him in the front of the plane. Behind them were Yuzuru and Ranka-san, both settling in for a nice nap. A few seats back, Toru and Kanako did the same, Kanako curled against her fiance comfortably, while the twins and Hideyo occupied a row of three seats together, Kaoru still supporting the sickly girl. Finally Hunny, Mori, and Reiko took the very back of the plane, happy for the opportunity to chat.

* * *

"Well, well, well," she said, glaring at the manilla envelope on the cherry wood table before her. "The idiots are doing better than I expected. Already found that Takaoji brat and now are onto Nekozawa's son. At this rate, I'll have to hide them sooner than I thought."

"Madam," a voice intoned, "you are needed at the Chancellor's table."

"Of course," she responded. "I'll be there momentarily." The person speaking melted into the shadows, and she glanced at the man beside her. "You have already made arrangements, correct?"

"Yes, of course," he quickly replied, knowing his response time was closely monitored and not wanting to send her into any of her spasmodic attacks of speech she was now prone to. "The house has been prepared for weeks; all you need do is say the word, and my men will remove Fujioka and Hoshakuji immediately."

"Excellent." The clipped response gave him pause; he knew she needed some sort of medical attention, but at moments like this, she was almost completely in control of her faculties and seemed sane. "They won't find her, not this time. I can't allow it."

"Ah, will there be anything else?" He quickly interjected, not wanting to listen to the rant that had become a broken record over the past month.

"Yes," she ground out, annoyed at being interrupted. "What about those ridiculous two who we forced to kidnap them? Have all the arrangements been made to detain them?"

"Tonniere and De Luca will be detained once we have officially moved Fujioka and Hoshakuji. They will be moved into the holding area of the manor for safekeeping and will be unable to leave until after the hosts have found the girls or after they have left France for good," he explained. "On the chance that the hosts find the girls, we have already arranged for Tonniere and De Luca to be found with the girls and are ready to start prosecution immediately. Otherwise, they will be allowed to leave once it has been established that the hosts will not be returning to France."

"I don't want them allowed to leave," she responded, glaring at her cup moodily. "They could take vital information to that brat and his ridiculous friends, and then where would we be? No, they must be kept somewhere. I don't care where. Arrange it."

He sighed; this would be difficult. It was one thing to simply trump up charges against two people who could legally be tied to a crime. It was another entirely to make two people disappear from society with no long amount of time and preparation.

"Madam?" The voice joined them again, and the two looked at the waiter in question. "The Chancellor is wondering where you are. He says his son is most anxious to meet you and would like to give you a gift."

Her eyes lit up. "Go now; report to me at our next meeting," she ordered him, and he barely suppressed the glare that threatened to emerge. Without another word, she stood and whisked away to the table in the opposite corner, one full of various dignitaries and debutantes, all people he hated associating with.

Another moment and he had all but disappeared as well, melting into the shadows of the room and exiting with all the grace of a man of his station. Ten minutes later he was walking into the home of a close family friend, a man known for his ties to the Mafia; perhaps he could get some ideas that would be easier to stomach than simply detaining a couple for the rest of their lives.

* * *

"I believe that we met when I arrived at school," Renge was saying, smiling at her friend in genuine companionship. "I admit, I wasn't very intelligent at the time, but it was such fun to travel across several countries to meet the man of my dreams. Of course, it turned out that I was much mistaken, but mistakes can sometimes lead to rather serendipitous affairs, much like mine in school with you."

Haruhi smiled, albeit cautiously. "So what about Beppe? And Eclaire? When did I meet them?"

"You met me when you woke up one morning, of course," Beppe said as he joined the two at the breakfast table. He smiled and leaned over to peck Haruhi on the cheek before sitting beside her. "I was visiting you, and I'm fairly certain you were bowled over by my devilish good looks."

"You mean your overwhelming sense of arrogance and overpowering perfume," Eclaire rejoined, taking her spot on Renge's right. "I'm fairly certain," she continued, mimicking his tone, "she was in shock at the cloud of perfume that followed you everywhere you went."

"Hey!" Beppe mock glared as the women laughed. Renge felt a bit out of her element but remembered that this was Haruhi's idea and went along with it. "I'll have you know that I have never worn perfume! It was very manly cologne, thank you very much."

The glances the two shared across the table were clearly those of lovers, but you would have to look closely to catch them at it. The maids shuffled in and out of the room, curiously watching the group that rarely ate together and keeping food stuffs stocked and glasses full.

"What about you, Eclaire, when did I meet you?" Haruhi's curiosity was getting the best of her, and she made careful note of the shuttered look on the other woman's face.

"We also met at school, but it was at the end of your first year," Eclaire said inanely, searching for the words to say it carefully. "It was at a graduation event for some of your friends that the entire school put on, and since you were in the same club with them and I was there for a potential business deal, I met you at the club's party."

Renge snidely said, "But you all weren't exactly buddy-buddy, were you?"

"No," Eclaire spat, glaring at her. "We weren't friends. Mainly because I was working on getting to the guy you liked, and you got angry about it."

"But she won him in the end, didn't she?" Beppe joked, winking. The girls smiled at him, but this time the smiles were more forced.

Haruhi's plan had been simple. They would talk about events regarding her and try to subtly fill her in on her past when around the maids. At the same time, since the maids had no idea what her past was, they would make it sound as if Beppe and Eclaire were forging a past in the stories they told. Renge had agreed only because it sounded like it was the only plan that would possibly work. She wasn't sure, though, because it looked strange for the four of them to sit at breakfast together and chat like old friends, especially since she'd made a point of insulting Beppe and Eclaire every chance she got.

Arianne's job in the midst of all this was to carefully plant news that she'd "overheard" from Beppe and Eclaire about the successes of their changing Haruhi's memories to reflect a fake past. They had agreed that Arianne would only do this on a few occasions in order to keep the maids from suspecting anything. It would have to suffice for now.

The night before, Renge had filled in Beppe and Eclaire on how far the hosts had gotten. At first, Beppe was furious to learn she'd stolen his cell phone, but he relaxed when she explained that she would help him and Eclaire to escape the old witch's clutches. Her plan was more involved than Haruhi's and had already been put into motion.

The hosts would be there in another day, and Renge was certain they needed to keep the old bat from discovering the deception until they could arrive or else they would all be in trouble. She'd talked to Kyouya, who informed her that Kasanoda and his gang had managed the escape of the last of the captives and the capture of the former kidnappers. So her information leak must be drying up, or else she had another source, but Renge felt certain any other source couldn't be as informed as the hosts and she was.

By the time they arrived, Beppe and Eclaire were to work out a way to draw the old bat to the manor. She was at least in France, which made things infinitely easier, but there was something that made her pause. She didn't know if they would be able to draw her out without keeping Haruhi and Renge locked up. This would be a problem because they needed to be out and about so the hosts could find them.

They schemed for a few hours and debated various ideas until Arianne proposed a solution they could all live with.

"Why don't you plan another outing?" She asked, looking thoughtful. "Miss Fujioka could get into another argument about never going outside or going anywhere, and you could placate her by taking her on another outing together. When you go, you can go to the edge of the manor grounds to that lovely stream and visit the swing. It would get both of you outside where the hosts can find you easily."

"But what about her? She'll pitch a fit once she realizes we're taking them outside," Beppe said, eyes narrowed in thought.

Arianne replied, "Miss Fujioka could argue with you tomorrow and then you could take her outside sometime after she gets here and only let her know later. I could let her know after the hosts arrive. I can pretend you sent me to offer to take her to a nice tea on the grounds and let it slip that both of the girls are with you. She wouldn't be able to ignore that."

They mulled this over in their minds for a short time before Beppe and Eclaire slowly agreed to the terms. It seemed they would be working in a shouting match for Haruhi and Beppe again.

Sitting at the breakfast table, Renge noticed the beautiful sunshine streaming through the windows and thought now would be a perfect time to bring on the shouting match. "It's such a lovely morning, isn't it, Emilia?"

Haruhi caught her drift and, instead of smiling, frowned thoughtfully. "Yes, it is," she began, "but it would be nicer if we could go out and enjoy it."

"Now Emilia," Beppe began, having understood where the conversation was going, "you know you're not well enough to be outside. Just enjoy it from inside today; in fact, let's go to the library later, and you can sit in the bay windows and read. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

The patronizing tone was enough to make Haruhi grow slightly angry, which was, of course, what Beppe was going for. "You've taken me outside before. Nothing happened then, so I doubt something would happen now. What's the problem, Beppe? Afraid I'll wander off and get lost? I doubt that considering how much you hound me with your presence all the time."

Eclaire glared at the girl, deciding to add her two bits. "For someone who's so in love with him, you sure aren't a great girlfriend. _I_ would have the decency to listen to my boyfriend. He's only trying to help."

"You're just jealous that you didn't get him," Haruhi said, playing up the fake history they'd created the night before. "And I am not some weakling that can't handle the sunlight. Honestly, you'd think I was some sort of porcelain doll or something!"

Renge demurred, "Emilia, don't you think you should calm down? You don't want to get all worked up..."

"I want to go outside!" Haruhi interrupted, voice rising in false anger. "You act like I'm going to break, but I won't! Why won't you let me leave this freaking house? I'm tired of it, and I want some sunshine!"

Standing up, she began to pace back and forth, and it was then that Renge noticed something was wrong. It appeared Beppe and Eclaire noticed it as well because they began to rise from their chairs as well.

"I don't see why it's such a big deal anyway! It's not like I- like I'll do something wrong. I don't even know what could happen that you're so worried about!" Haruhi's voice continued to rise, and all the maids had stopped their movements, watching in avid curiosity. "It's just the outdoors! It's not like I could break a priceless vase or something!"

But her voice died off at this point, and Renge saw the moment when a piece of Haruhi's past came back to her. Her eyes grew huge, and Renge figured she knew why. A moment later she blacked out completely, falling into a dead faint at Beppe's feet.

The three gathered around her, Beppe murmuring, loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear, that he would take her outside tomorrow if she felt up to it. Then he lifted her limp figure into his arms and carried her, Renge and Eclaire following, to her room.

_A sign hung on the door in front of her. "Music Room 3" it read. "Maybe there won't be anyone in here..." was all she could mumble to herself as she opened the large doors._

_"Welcome." Her eyes widened as she thought 'Men! Good-looking men! Oh gosh...'_

_"It's a guy," she heard the derisive tons of the twins before her say. _

_"Hey! Men are valuable patrons, too, so stifle it." She glanced at the figure before her and nearly fainted at the sight of beautiful blond hair, bright violet eyes, and a gorgeous face. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, Haruhi Fujioka, scholarship student! You are a rare creature in this place!" _

_The blonde before her scared her for some reason. Mists swirled before she could make out the reason. She was in the same room, perhaps at the same time only moments later._

_"Of course, we heard the rumor you're a man lover," the blonde said to her shocked look. "What is your type? Wild man? Boy lolita? Or... am I more your style?" _

_Her heart thundered in her chest as he gently cupped her chin, running his fingers against her soft skin. She tried in vain to respond, "No, it's not like that--" A moment later she was trying to explain, "Look, I was just trying to find a quiet place!!" _

_The boy to whom she spoke was crying now, and an older looking boy handed him a stuffed rabbit. She backed up a step from the incoming boys as she said, "So, excuse me..." _

_CRASH!_

_She jumped and turned to see the thousands of pieces of what was once an exquisite vase on the ground behind her. Her heart sank and fell further in her chest when she heard one of the twins saying, "That vase was by Rune. It was to be the featured item in the next school auction..."_

_The second twin picked up where his brother left off. "The bidding was going to start at $80,000, but I don't think it'll fetch that now..."_

_She gulped loudly and began to babble some nonsense about paying for it. How on earth could she pay for such a thing? Before she could compute all the voices she was hearing, the familiar tones of the blonde rang out in the room. _

_"Fujioka, are you familiar with the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'? And this--'If you don't have the cash, pay with your carcass'?! As of today, you're the host club's dogsbody!!"_

_The silent cry of 'Mother' flew through her head as her jaw dropped. The mists swirled once more._

"Oh, I think she's waking up! Haruhi, are you okay?" Renge's voice drew her out of her stupor.

"Hu-what?" Was her very intelligent response to that. "Wha-what happened?" She opened her eyes more fully and realized she was lying in bed with Renge, Eclaire, Beppe, and Arianne gathered around her. "Did I pass out?!" Her incredulous tones were met with severe stares.

"You really aren't very well, Haruhi," Beppe put in conversationally. "I was being serious when I said that you probably shouldn't be outside. It's a side effect of the amnesia, I think."

"Haruhi, did you remember anything?" Renge asked, looking at her hopefully. She ignored the annoyed huff of the man beside her. She's already learned he hated to be interrupted and wasn't going to apologize for it.

"I had a dream, I think." She closed her eyes to remember it more fully. "I was in this room, something called the music room, maybe? And there were these guys, six of them, all there, and they thought I was a guy." She paused when Eclaire chuckled. "I was just trying to find a quiet place, though, and they wouldn't let me leave. They kept asking me which one of them I liked. And I-I knocked over this vase. The blond guy told me I had to pay for it by being the club dogsbody." She opened her eyes to see Renge's interested face peering back at her. "But that can't be real, can it? I mean, it's so... bizarre!"

Renge grinned and then said, "That, my dear Haruhi, was the host club. And the blonde you mentioned? His name is Tamaki. And, yes, you did have exactly that happen to you, but it was sometime before we met."

Haruhi's eyes closed in shock. How could she have forgotten such an odd event? It was like being thrown into a movie or something equally as absurd.

"In any event," Beppe was now saying and she opened her eyes to focus on him better, "while you were unconscious on the floor, I told Renge and Eclaire that we would be going outside tomorrow if you felt better, so you'd best get some rest if you want our plan to work."

The conspirators chatted a few more minutes before breaking up to go about their business, Renge to hide in one of the secret rooms she'd found and place a call or two, Beppe and Eclaire to have some time to themselves in case the worst happened. Arianne went back to make one of her reports to the other maids.

By tomorrow, Haruhi would either be back among her family, or everyone would be in the clutches of a mad woman.

* * *

_A/N: So there you have it. This story is rapidly winding up, and I hope you've enjoyed it! I'm trying to keep things from being given away too quickly, but it's flowing easily now. If you feel it's going too quickly or is choppy, please let me know. _

_I appreciate any and all comments you all want to give me. Thanks so much for your continued support and for reading this little ditty of mine! My guess is that we've got only a couple more chapters before we wrap things up for good. I'll probably include an epilogue and that's it since I don't plan any sequels for this (even with the pairings I intend on introducing at the end.) _

_Let me know what you think, and again, thanks for reading! _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: I don't have much to say about this one. You can see we're winding down the story. I'm not sure how many chapters are left, but there won't be more than five left, I can guarantee that. I hope you enjoy this latest installment! _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Twelve**

**By: Rae**

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

"Mr. Ootori, we will be landing in ten minutes time," the flight attendant said as she bent over the form of a slightly sleepy Kyouya. "If you would like, I can inform the rest of your group as well."

"Very well," he replied, not certain of his speech yet and scowling at the early morning growl he'd developed.

The flight was rapidly drawing to a close, and once they landed, he would be hard pressed to get them where they needed to be in time. He was only happy that Renge had convinced her kidnappers to work with her.

He thought back to the phone call they'd had the previous morning. Renge was obviously anxious about her plan, but he was pleased with how she'd managed things in France, especially since Haruhi was, apparently, suffering from amnesia. He hadn't mentioned this to Tamaki or Yuzuru and wasn't about to tell Ranka-san, who would probably go pale and faint. On second thought, that was also the reason he wasn't telling Tamaki.

Renge gave him the address of the manor, and he realized it was rather close to the Suou France Mansion, the one Tamaki had been born in and the one his mother was evicted from following Suou Takako's orders. Kyouya found it interesting that she was so close and wondered how his friend would react when he realized she was in the manor.

In addition, he'd found out that the people holding the two girls were none other than Eclaire Tonniere and Giuseppe De Luca. Kyouya had the displeasure of realizing he would be dealing with the troublesome daughter of Tonniere Industries once more, but he also smirked when he remembered Renge's words.

"She went absolutely white when I mentioned we'd liquidated and allied ourselves with OK Industries. It was priceless! I only wish I'd had a camera to take a picture."

Yes, it was only a matter of time, really, before everything was perfectly in place. Kyouya glanced around the plane, looking at the glazed looks on the faces of Tamaki and Ranka. It was no wonder Haruhi had fallen for Tamaki, really; he was exactly like her father, with the obvious exception that Tamaki was not an okama. Kyouya had heard that women sometimes fell for men like their fathers, and apparently that was true with Haruhi.

Craning his neck, he saw that the twins and Hideyo were slowly waking up, and he held in a smirk at the sight of Hideyo leaning heavily against Kaoru's side. When he awoke and realized whose weight was against him, Kaoru blushed heavily, looking around to see if anyone had caught him. Kyouya allowed his eyes to meet the younger twin's and gave a genuine smirking smile, something Kaoru wasn't certain of because he blushed harder.

Looking further in the back, he saw that the cousins and Reiko were sitting together, chatting quietly. Reiko was pointing vigorously into the air when she noticed him watching and shut her mouth abruptly. Interesting. Perhaps they were talking about him?

A few rows behind him, he noticed that Toru and Kanako were also chatting quietly, but Kanako had a small bottle of water out and was sipping on it cautiously. Her face was green, and Toru mopped her sweaty brow with a handkerchief. It appeared she was not good with long flights.

The ten minutes passed quickly, and Yuzuru arrived back from the bathroom just in time to strap himself in before landing. The group picked up their carry-on luggage and followed Kyouya out into the airport terminal when they were allowed to exit the plane. The Ootori third son carefully wound his way through the airport to the baggage claim where they picked up their bags and then followed him once again to a waiting limo.

"I've ordered two limos," he said, looking sourly at the limo driver, "but Pierre tells me one of them has been detained due to traffic. We will wait for it to arrive."

They sat in the uncomfortable airport seats, common around the world, and scrunched down, while Pierre talked on a cell phone in rapid fire French, trying to convince his fellow driver to hurry up.

Thirty minutes later the second limo arrived. Dividing up, they stowed their luggage in the trunks of the long vehicles and clambered into their respective cars. Kyouya, Yuzuru, Tamaki, Ranka, Toru, and Kanako took the first one while the twins, Hideyo, the cousins, and Reiko took the second.

Before leaving, Kyouya meandered over to one of the back windows of the second limo. Hikaru pressed the button to lower it, and Kyouya stuck his head inside to warn, "It's going to be a long trip; I'd suggest getting comfortable. We won't be stopping very often."

He turned and walked back to the other limo before they could ask where they were going. Inside each limo, the groups began to get comfortable. It would be a long five-hour drive.

* * *

Haruhi woke up dazed, holding her head in her hands. Something awful and yet wonderful was happening to her. She was beginning to remember things, but it was so confusing! And every time she remembered a piece of her past, she ended up with a massive headache.

Her eyes closed on the bright sunlight streaming into the room, and she moaned softly. Remembering the dream, she wondered how she had ever lived such a life as the one she was recalling.

_"Haruhi..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"You're a __**girl**__?"_

_"Yes. Never claimed otherwise. I figured it would be easier if you thought I was a guy since you already bought me the uniform. Can't say that I fully appreciate the perceived differences between the sexes anyway. I don't care about looks much..."_

_Garbled tones hit her ears, and suddenly she heard the sounds of tinkling music, screaming girls, and much laughter. _

_"Didya see? Didn't Master Tamaki try to interfere?!"_

_"He always wants to do the kissing! Kiss-a-holic, kiss-a-holic!"_

_Her voice now. "Kiss-a-holic... makes sense..."_

_His voice. "Hey! I just didn't want your first kiss to be..." _

_"But it was, thanks to you. Not that I care. Anyhow, I didn't realize you were so... needy. My respect for you dwindles. Or is this some new way to harass me?"_

_Her heart clenched at such coldly spoken words. They weren't true; she knew it. Again she heard new noises, tinkling china and giggling. _

_His voice again. "So. Welcome, princess to the Ouran Host Clu--"_

_"Don't touch me, you phony!" The shriek startled her from her thoughts, and she knew that voice, didn't she?_

_"How did __**you**__ get to be the king of this host club? The king does __**not**__ spread his love around like cheap margarine! A girl's heart responds to the enigmatic smile, the indecipherable silence! You're just a mushy oaf! An airhead pretty boy! A cut-rate Romeo! In short--a __**lousy lover**__!!"_

Her head cleared up, and the dream faded from her view. A knock at the door startled her into awareness as Renge poked her head inside.

"Renge, did you go off on a tangent about the blond man?" Haruhi asked, without allowing her friend to speak.

She refrained from laughing when Renge gave her a dumbfounded look and then opened the door more fully to enter, Arianne and Eclaire following closely behind her. "What are you talking about, Haruhi?"

"I had a dream where you suddenly came to the club I was a part of," Haruhi began, looking at her thoughtfully, "and you yelled at the blond man who was the head of the club. You called him a fake and a lousy lover. What was that all about?"

Arianne and Eclaire had turned to Renge and were now watching her as she blushed deeply. "Well, um, that was, uh, Tamaki, and I just... I just wanted to be with Kyouya. I thought he was this great guy and wanted to make him fall in love with me like all the guys in my video games, and when Tamaki acted like such a buffoon, I yelled at him."

She glared at them when they all started to chuckle at her. "In my defense, I was tired from my flight! I'd only just gotten there and had to see Kyouya as soon as possible! Geez!"

The laughter grew louder now, and Haruhi was soon clutching her sides in amusement. Eventually the three women calmed down enough for Eclaire to explain her presence in the room.

"She's coming," she said softly, eyes a bit worried. "She called this morning to say she would arrive by noon to check up on everything. I'm not sure, but we didn't even have to find a way to get her here. That could mean she's up to something."

"We won't worry about that right now," Renge said bracingly, smiling brightly. "I'm just waiting for the phone to ring so we'll know they're on their way. And then we can get this show on the road. Oh... where's Beppe?"

"He's getting our things packed," Eclaire answered, looking warily at the other three in the room. "If things don't work out, we're leaving tonight. We can't afford to be put in jail. I'm sorry, but this is just too up in the air as it is. We need some sort of backup plan, and this is all we could come up with."

Arianne and Haruhi stared evenly at her, but Renge's smile just grew. "That's fine, that's fine. There's no need to worry. They'll be here soon enough, and we'll be going home! I can hardly wait!"

"Renge," Haruhi whispered, "what happens if I can't get my memories back?"

A subdued silence fell over the room as all the women exchanged glances. Renge finally drew in a deep breath and assured her, "We'll just work that out when we come to it."

Before anyone could say another word, the phone in Renge's pocket vibrated, and she grinned before taking off to the door. A moment later, Eclaire followed her, going to check on Beppe's packing skills. Arianne and Haruhi were the only ones left in the room, the only ones with a serious stake in seeing Tamaki again.

* * *

Meanwhile in the hidden room she'd discovered on the third floor, Renge spoke in quiet tones with Kyouya.

"So you're already on the road, then? That's wonderful! Yes, she's coming. She's apparently going to be here at noon. When do you think you'll arrive?" She paused a moment, listening. "Oh, that's perfect! She won't know what hit her. And you'll be able to take care of her right away."

A few minutes passed in silence before Renge argued, "But what happens after you get here then? You can't just march up to the house... you have to come find us! Besides, I can't imagine Tamaki would let you bring him all the way here and force him to avoid finding Haruhi till after you've gotten that old bat."

Renge's eyes widened as she continued to listen, and then, her voice turning angry, she said, "I want you to come find us. Send someone else to detain her, but come find us, dang it! You don't know what it's been like staying here. I want some sense of normalcy, Kyouya! Why won't you come get us yourself? I can tell you where we'll be--"

A swift blush suffused her cheeks, and she hesitated a minute before saying, "Well... would that really be so bad? Um, not that I, well, I mean, it wouldn't be that big of a problem. They'll--"

A moment later she broke out into a smile and answered, "Oh, that would be wonderful! Excellent, excellent. Okay, here's where we'll be..."

Ten minutes later she pressed the End button and disconnected, smiling brightly before remembering she was supposed to be annoyed to be locked up in a manor with two kidnappers. Forcing a neutral expression, the best she could manage right now, she wandered out of the room and into the hallway, feeling the need to do something with herself for the next few hours. She couldn't simply pace for hours; the maids would figure out something was up. So she contented herself with going to the library to see what she could read. She only lamented the fact there was no game room with video games she could immerse herself in.

* * *

In another part of the manor, Beppe and Eclaire were spending some well-earned time together.

"Do you think it will work?" Eclaire asked nervously, hands gripping his back as she hugged him tightly to herself.

Beppe rubbed her back soothingly and placed a kiss on her brow. "Relax, bella. Renge wouldn't guarantee something she couldn't produce, and she's been surprisingly honest with us, even giving us access to people who can substantiate her claims."

"Yes, but how can she guarantee he'll even be willing to help us?" Eclaire asked, her voice that of a petulant child. She pushed away from her lover and gave him a concerned glance.

Beppe chuckled lightly at this; he'd figured it out almost immediately and yet his lover was still in the dark. "Bella, you have to understand something about Renge. She's not guaranteeing him. He wouldn't do a thing if it didn't involve _her_. Don't you get it?"

Eclaire stepped fully away from him now and paced the small space in between the chair and the bed. "You mean... you mean they're... well..."

Beppe shook his head teasingly and pulled her arm when she drew close enough. She collapsed onto the bed beside him. "Now do you see?"

Nodding, she rolled into him, allowing her head to lay comfortably on his chest. "So now all we have to worry about is her."

This left them both a bit more nervous. But they ignored the nerves in favor of enjoying the two hours they had left before her arrival. Curling up comfortably, they fell into a nap, holding onto each other even in their sleep.

* * *

"And Tama was only two when I began playing the piano for him," Arianne was telling Haruhi in her room. "He loved it so much; I can still remember when he played 'Chopsticks' for the first time. He was so proud of himself."

Haruhi smiled at the thought of a chubby blond toddler listening to the piano. "Did he play anything else?"

"Oh my, yes," Arianne laughingly answered, relishing the chance to tell someone else about her brilliant son. "But sometimes he was a little bit over the top. He was always so concerned about good manners and never left me alone if he could help it. And the music he played... goodness, but his favorite was Chopin. It was unfortunate his grandmother didn't like it, though. She's the reason I haven't seen him since he was just a boy."

Haruhi sucked in a breath; this story sounded familiar to her. She'd already established that she knew this Tamaki, whoever he was, and that there was something there that no one could really tell her about. Or perhaps it was just that they didn't want her to know. And now she was hearing something so familiar.

Arianne continued, oblivious to her charge's contemplation. "But before she took him away from me, I got sick and couldn't take care of both of us anymore. She knew Yuzuru wasn't going to have any more children, so she took him away from me and told him he had to go to Japan to save my life. The cold-hearted witch wouldn't even let him really say goodbye."

The tears in her eyes made Haruhi sad, but she still had that niggling feeling that she should recognize this story. "Only a few years back, Eclaire took me in as a maid, and she gave me medical attention. I'm doing much better now; though I'm not in perfect health yet. But she told me, only a year after I started working for her, that I might have the opportunity to see my son again, and then she left for Japan. I was so excited, but when she came back, she never mentioned it to me. I eventually gave up hope of seeing him again. I should have known he wouldn't come back to me. That woman wouldn't allow it in a million years."

Haruhi sat in silence for a few minutes as Arianne lapsed into a daydream, most likely remembering her son. She wondered how she had come so far in such a short amount of time. How could she have been kidnapped only a short time ago and have lost all her memories only to be regaining them now and making new friends while waiting for a rescue? It was all a little overwhelming, and she rubbed her forehead where a headache was niggling somewhere behind her eyes.

She thought about the hazy dreams she'd been having and wondered about how she got involved in a host club in the first place. It seemed different from what she knew a host club to be, but she didn't know how it worked. And it made no sense for a host club to be allowed to operate in a school. That was just ridiculous.

On the other hand, she had to admit the blonde from her dream was gorgeous. She remembered his almost violet eyes and the warm tones of his voice as he gazed at her. But it wasn't a look of love like she expected, and Haruhi was confused for a moment. She shook her head, holding it gingerly with a moan as it ached, and remembered that her dream must have happened sometime before she decided this man was someone she could love. This thought threw her for a moment. How could she know that she was with someone in the first place?

Remembering when she first woke up in this place, Haruhi recalled how natural it felt to have Beppe hold her hand and tell her they were in love. The natural part, of course, was the feeling that she was in love with _someone_. The unnatural part was Beppe, and as she dreamed of this blonde man, Haruhi somehow believed he must be the one that she was in love with. She didn't know quite how she knew; it was just there.

A chime rang out through the house, and she heard the various grandfather clocks chiming noon. Arianne seemed to come out of her daydream state and looked apprehensively at Haruhi. They gazed steadily at one another until a knock came on the door.

Renge popped her head in. "Are you two ready? It's almost showtime," she said excitedly, eyes gleaming with anticipation. She barely restrained herself from rubbing her palms together. "I hear she's arriving now; all the maids are going nuts trying to get ready for her, and Beppe and Eclaire are waiting in the sitting room. We're not allowed in; she doesn't want to see us."

Arianne stood and quickly smoothed the wrinkles from her outfit. "I should go to greet her," she said, looking annoyed and slightly nervous. "She expects all the maids to attend to her when she's here." Without another word, she pushed past Renge and went to join the rest of the staff in preparing to greet their mistress.

Renge walked into the room and sat down next to Haruhi. "Hey, don't worry," she said softly, looking compassionately at her friend. "It's going to be all right, and you'll get your memories back. Tamaki's going to be here soon, and things will go back to normal."

Haruhi nodded slightly, feeling a little sick at her stomach, and Renge grinned before saying, "C'mon, I know a place where we can watch 'her highness' come into her palace. And then we can enjoy the fireworks when things really heat up!"

Pulling on her hand, Renge guided Haruhi out of the room, walking her down a back hall where she knew no one would be lurking. The two walked around the perimeter of the house, using unused halls until they came to a door next to the sitting room. Renge opened the door and yanked Haruhi inside, pulling it closed and then rushing over to the window that was carefully draped by dusty maroon fabric.

The two stood on either side of the window and opened the drapes enough to see out onto the driveway. A black limo was parked in front of the house and several maids were already rushing out to greet the woman stepping from its dark interior.

She had short, gray hair in a tasteful perm that kept it out of her face, and her eyes were dark brown with crows feet on them. There were few wrinkles on her face but for the newly acquired ones along her brow which she was in the habit of narrowing of late. Her nose was small and her mouth was pursed in a thin line that made her lips look even thinner than they already were. Light makeup was painted across her face in a somewhat flattering way that made her look the part of a business matriarch.

Marching towards the door in her black Prada stilettos, she looked every inch the conquering warrior queen in her royal purple ensemble. It was a modest purple business suit complete with matching clutch, and she walked easily in the high heels. Haruhi gasped as she saw the woman coming toward the door. For a moment, she didn't know what to think, and then she saw the woman glaring at one of the maids.

"Oh no, Arianne," she heard Renge murmur, and sure enough, Arianne was facing the wrath of the woman in purple.

They couldn't hear what was said, but before long, Arianne was walking briskly back towards the front door, head held high despite the troubled look on her face. The woman watched with a speculative gleam in her eye but dismissed the maid in order to appraise the rest of those assembled before her.

A minute later, Beppe and Eclaire walked outside to greet her, smiling falsely and inclining their heads in a gesture of respect. Beppe kissed the back of the woman's hand when she offered it, and Eclaire followed the two, a few steps behind the other women, with a look of utter revulsion on her face. She glanced around and saw the two watching from the window. Eclaire seemed amused at that and winked at them before moving into the house with the rest of the entourage.

After they were ensconced in the next room, Haruhi and Renge continued to watch the flurrying movement around the limo, keeping their ears open for any noise coming from the other room. A group of maids and butlers appeared and began unloading the car. It appeared the woman was moving into the house for a while; she had over seven different pieces of luggage.

"There you are," they heard, and the two let the curtains fall to turn. Arianne stood at the door, grinning at them.

"What did she say to you?" Renge asked, moving to the woman in a fierce show of support.

"Nothing much," Arianne replied carefully, sighing. "Just the usual. I'm nothing without Yuzuru. He'll never have me back. Tamaki would never come for me. I'm used to it, really," she added quickly when Renge looked ready to rush into the next room and tear the woman limb from limb. "It's nothing I haven't heard for the last few years anyway. Now, let's go grab a bite to eat; I'm sure you won't have a chance to eat much once they get here."

The three followed Arianne obediently to the kitchen where the cooks were rushing to prepare a grand feast for that night. Haruhi shook her head ruefully. If all went according to plan, their mistress would not be feasting on fine foods for a long time, especially not tonight. They grabbed a few things to eat and sat at the kitchen table, set to the side of the large room out of the way of the cooks.

After they finished their meal, they made their way back up to Haruhi's room to await Beppe. He would come and get Haruhi for their scheduled walk around the grounds, and Arianne would go to Suou Takako when the time came and explain that they wanted to share tea on the grounds. The three settled nervously in chairs around the room until the door opened.

Beppe walked in with Eclaire, and they looked at one another, gazes darting around the room. Finally he swallowed hard and said, "Shall we?" Haruhi nodded numbly, rising from her chair with Arianne and Renge beside her. The three walked to the door where the other two were waiting. They walked out, and Arianne went to the kitchen to wait until it was closer to 1:00 before asking Suou-sama to join them. The four took the long way, avoiding the various inhabited chambers and making sure to be quiet as they went.

When they arrived outside, they grew a bit more jovial, laughing a little as Beppe's nervous energy got the best of him and he began running ahead of them. He would go a few feet ahead, turn around and wait for them to catch up before running ahead again. The women found this a bit amusing and somewhat comforting. They walked to the edge of the grounds, near the driveway, and Haruhi sat down on the swing attached to a large oak tree mere feet away from the stream.

It was a wooden thing and not very comfortable, but she didn't mind. She wasn't much of one for swings anyway. She looked at the area around them. It was lovely. The stream Arianne had described was more of a lake than a stream, one that seemed to go from the end of the drive way, which was built like a bridge, to the other end of the grounds they were at. It continued past the edge of the hedges that framed the grounds, and Haruhi thought it was lovely.

She sat with the others who had spread out a picnic blanket and were chatting nervously, and as she swayed back and forth, she laughed at the absurdity of the situation they were in.

"Haruhi?" Renge asked, looking concernedly at her friend. "What's wrong?"

Haruhi chuckled a bit and then pointed at the group on the ground. "Us," she said, "All of us, just waiting for someone to come rescue us from a madwoman. And you've got a picnic blanket out, and I'm sitting in a swing. It's just so surreal!"

Renge laughed a bit at that insight, and even Beppe and Eclaire found it a bit amusing. They all began to discuss the irony of their situation until they heard it. The telltale sound of approaching vehicles warned them that someone was coming. Haruhi felt a bit nervous and pushed off from the ground, pumping her legs and hoping to get high enough on the swing to see over the hedge that blocked the view of the road. The other three simply watched.

Minutes passed, and the foursome listened intently, ignoring the sounds of chirping birds and concentrating on the approaching vehicles. They heard the crunch of gravel and the sounds of changing gears. A squeak of brakes indicated that the cars were getting closer. Haruhi pumped herself higher and higher, craning her neck to see.

Another few minutes passed as the cars drew closer, and finally they were in sight, pulling into the driveway. Haruhi gasped as two white limos rounded the corner to the stream, passing right by the place where the group was seated. She stared, and the limos stopped abruptly, brakes squealing.

Doors suddenly flew open, and Haruhi found herself holding her breath in anticipation. People began to clamber out of the limos, people she didn't recognize, people she should know. Her heart hammered in her chest.

An older man nearly fell out of the first limo. He had a feminine air to him and felt familiar, but when he yelled, "Haruhi, Daddy's coming!" she couldn't remember him and was immensely ashamed.

A younger man with black hair climbed from the limo regally, eyes scanning the group before him. Haruhi noticed that he gave her only a second's glance before locking eyes with Renge. She could tell there was something else going on that she didn't know about. An older man gracefully unfolded himself from the first limo, blond hair so familiar, and yet so much older than the man in her dreams. His deep blue eyes penetrated her, and she saw that he was wiser than most people knew. Then it happened.

He pushed roughly out of the limo, grumbling about always being the last one out, and she felt the urge to laugh, to call to him, to go to him. He straightened up, blond hair shining in the sunlight and violet eyes blazing. He looked at the gathering and finally locked eyes with her.

Haruhi couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Suddenly he was there for her, and she knew she should know him, but she couldn't remember him! Her head began to pound, and all she could think to do was to go to him. But in the moment that he began running to her, she forgot herself. She forgot she was on a swing and simply let go of the ropes she had been clenching so tightly only moments before.

As the swing came flying back towards the water, Haruhi had no notice before she found herself flying, no ropes, no wooden swing, nothing beneath her. Her body flew into the air, and her eyes widened in shock as she plunged toward the water.

She heard her name screamed from someone and felt the sensation of warm arms a second before she took the wet plunge. Then everything went black.

* * *

_A/N: Congratulations, you have just reached the climax of the story! Welcome to the beginning of the denouement! Or something like that. I assume everyone has gathered who the kidnapper is by now, but we still haven't uncovered the vast reasons nor how her part in the tale will play out. Stay tuned to see more of our flying, soaking wet Haruhi, the tender reunion between the couple, a furious Kyouya, and a terrifying madwoman! _

_If you have a moment, please feel free to send me a little review and let me know how I'm doing. I appreciate your comments and support, and I am thrilled to know so many people enjoy my story. Thanks again for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter! _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-_

_P.S. The flashback was, once again, courtesy of the manga. I take no responsibility for any of the grammar, punctuation, or word choice used in it. So forgive the rather silliness that you read! _


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: We've finally reunited Tamaki and Haruhi! Let's see what happens next... I hope you enjoy this chapter! _

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!  
_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Thirteen**

**By: Rae**

-An "Ouran High School Host Club" Fanfic-

Tamaki flew into action the moment he saw Haruhi falling through the air. It was as if an instinct had gripped him, and before he could think through it, he was running harder than before, leaping into the air to grab her, and plunging into the water with her. His arms barely reached her before she hit the cold water, and Tamaki drew in a gasping breath of the wet stuff that left him trying to cough from under water.

On dry land, the twins, Kyouya, and the cousins had all gathered around the rest of the group with Yuzuru, Ranka, Toru, Kanako, Reiko, and Hideyo bringing up the rear. Renge's eyes grew huge as she took in the size of the group that met them, and both Beppe and Eclaire tensed up and stood close together. Eclaire had her arms crossed defensively over her chest as she sized up a serious Kyouya, while Beppe had an arm around her, his eyes darting nervously between Yuzuru, Kyouya, and the twins.

They all had watched Tamaki bravely leaping into the water after his love, and now they waited, seconds later, for the heads to pop up. It took longer than Renge, Beppe, and Eclaire were comfortable with waiting.

"Where is she?" Eclaire asked finally, cutting the expectant silence that had developed. "What's taking him so long?"

"I hope she's okay," Beppe remarked, holding her tighter in his arms. The two glanced at Renge, who understood their concern. "Haruhi really shouldn't be in the water this long; who knows what it will do to her."

Hikaru was the one who voiced the question on the rest of the group's minds. "What do you mean? Why is it such a bad thing for Haruhi to be in the water a couple of minutes?"

Renge smiled at him cautiously, remembering his tendency to blow up at the slightest provocation. "Well, Haruhi suffered a hit to the head when she was being kidnapped that kind of gave her amnesia," she finally said, watching the expressions on the faces change from confusion to concern. "She's not really supposed to be outside in the first place because she's still quite weak, and she's only recently begun getting her memories back, so it can't be good for her to-"

A loud hacking sound came from the water, and they watched as Tamaki finally surfaced, a bedraggled looking Haruhi wrapped tightly in his arms. Even from a distance, they could tell something was wrong. The young man managed to pick her up when he got close enough to the water, but she was unconscious with a blue tinge to her lips.

"She's not breathing," Tamaki yelled as he lay her on the ground. Looking around, he surveyed the group before pointing to Mori. "Help me do CPR!"

Mori immediately moved to the other side of the prone girl and knelt over her, giving Tamaki the okay to begin. Pinching her nose shut, he leaned over her face and put his mouth to hers, breathing in deeply. When he finished, Mori began the compressions. Then Tamaki performed the rescue breathing again, and Mori finished with the compressions.

After the second set of compressions, Tamaki exchanged a glance with Mori, one filled with worry and fear. He leaned in to begin breathing again. As he did his third breath, Haruhi suddenly coughed, and Tamaki moved to the side as Mori easily moved her onto her side. Her lungs expelled the harmful water that had filled them, and she spat it out onto the ground beside Tamaki's knees.

"Haruhi?" He called softly, watching as her eyes slowly opened. She took a deep, shuddering breath and then coughed some more, spitting out the last of the water as she breathed deeply. He took her arm when she tried to sit up and helped her to sit up completely.

Looking around, Haruhi had never felt more confused. There was Renge standing next to the black-haired boy who seemed to be hiding something. She should know both of them, she realized. And there were a pair of twins, the ones she remembered from her dreams. The little boy she'd yelled at in her dream was there, standing side by side with a dark-haired woman with mysterious eyes. And on her other side was the older boy who'd given the little boy a stuffed rabbit.

Her eyes darted around the group, and she saw Eclaire with Beppe, standing with their arms around one another, eyes wide with fright. There was another girl, moving close to the twins, and Haruhi felt a twinge of annoyance fill her. Her eyes widened at that. The older man who had called himself Daddy was staring at her with hopeful eyes, and the other older man was standing next to him, leveling a gaze at her that she couldn't really handle.

Looking away from him, she looked to the man helping hold her up, and her eyes met those violet ones that seemed so unfathomably deep, so impossibly beautiful. She sucked in a breath, and Tamaki smiled at her, causing a deep sense of shame to fill the muddled girl.

"I'm sorry," she whispered weakly, staring at him with pain-filled eyes, "but I don't remember you."

Tamaki's eyes widened comically, but his mouth slackened into a thin line that Haruhi felt was most unbecoming. He looked from her to the black-haired youth, eyes pleading, but it was Renge who said, "I'm afraid she lost all her memories when the kidnappers hit her over the head. I'm so sorry, Tamaki; we've been trying to help her get her memories back, but it's slow going."

The violet eyes were back, looking into her own with sympathy and not even the slightest bit of pity. "We'll get your memories back, Haruhi," he said softly, mouth turning into a lop-sided smile. "I'll keep you safe, and we'll get your memories back for you."

She would have smiled at him for such a sweet comment, but her head suddenly pounded like it never had before. Her eyes grew huge, and she teared up, allowing a sob to escape her throat before she blacked out again. Tamaki put an arm around her shoulders, catching her when she would have fallen backwards. His face was pale, and he held the shivering, unconscious woman in his arms even as the wind struck his own wet form.

"We need to get you two inside," Eclaire finally said, looking every inch the hostess she could be. "Come on, you can put her in the limo, and we'll drive up to the door."

"No, we need to walk," Renge said, giving her co-conspirators a meaningful look. They nodded at her, and Beppe took Eclaire's hand to lead the way.

Tamaki picked up the still shivering Haruhi and carried her with Ranka on one side and Yuzuru on the other. His father had a cell phone in hand and was sending a text message with rapid fire speed. Ranka had taken hold of one of Haruhi's limp hands and was now holding it as they walked. Kyouya and Renge followed, walking next to one another but not touching as the twins and Hideyo followed. The cousins and Reiko picked up the tail end of the group with Toru and Kanako walking behind them. Hunny quickly instructed the drivers to wait for thirty minutes before bringing the cars to the front of the house.

"What are we going to do when we meet up with her?" Beppe called back to Renge.

She grabbed Kyouya's arm and pulled him forward to walk closer to the group in front. "We need to stop her before she can leave," she told him, and then she turned to Yuzuru. "I was hoping you might have a plan, actually."

Yuzuru looked steadily at the girl who was the mastermind that brought them there. Seeing the look on Kyouya's face, Yuzuru inclined his head momentarily. Then he said, "I do have a plan, but it's going to take about an hour before it can be put into action. However," he added, seeing the concerned looks on Beppe's and Eclaire's faces, "it will not be necessary to forcibly detain her. I will speak with her myself; though I believe some of you will most likely want to be there for that."

Kyouya nodded, and Tamaki, who looked more angry than Renge had ever seen him, gave his father a glance full of fury as he asked, "Was it her?" Yuzuru nodded once, and Tamaki pursed his lips. "I won't forgive her for this," he said, voice low. Yuzuru nodded again, sighing softly.

The group continued to walk to the house and suddenly saw the head of Arianne bobbing along over the top of the short hill. Tamaki's grip tightened on his precious bundle, and Yuzuru stopped walking immediately. The group halted as the other woman came into view.

It was almost scripted, how quickly the movements were. Arianne continued to chat gaily to the woman following her, never seeming to notice the group she was approaching, though Beppe, Renge, and Eclaire all knew she had seen them. Suou Takako, on the other hand, was reading a folder with her eyes narrowed in concentration, absentmindedly following the maid. As they walked toward the group, the twins and the cousins fanned out. Mori and Kaoru went to the left side of the group while Hunny and Hikaru walked to the right. They positioned themselves in a defensive stance that they could easily use to their advantage should the need arise.

Kyouya and Tamaki walked to the front of the group with Yuzuru coming to stand on the other side of Tamaki and his girlfriend. Renge moved to slightly flank Kyouya while Ranka came to flank Yuzuru. The rest of the group moved in to frame either side of the central group, and they waited as Arianne continued to walk, her voice hitching a bit as she gazed at Yuzuru.

"Oh look," she finally called, grabbing Takako's attention, "it's Beppe and Eclaire! Are you coming to greet us?"

Suou Takako was an intelligent woman who knew well when she was in danger. She glanced up sharply from the folder she held, and her grip slackened. The folder fell the ground, forgotten in the surprise of seeing both her son and grandson walking towards her.

"You can't possibly be here," she whispered loudly, hand coming to clutch Arianne's arm. "You can't have found Nekozawa yet, and you still have the Kasanoda son and the other girl! It's not possible!"

Her eyes traveled around the silent group until she noticed Reiko standing off to the right, near Hunny. "No," she breathed, eyes wild, "it can't be! How did you find them? How?! What are you doing here?" She asked harshly, voice contorted with hatred as she glared at her son.

Yuzuru stepped forward, careful to keep his gaze on his mother and not his former mistress. "Mother, please," he pleaded, voice soft to keep her calm, "please stop this charade. We've come to help you."

"No! I don't need help," she shrieked, her hands flying convulsively to her throat. "I need to get rid of the spawn of that hussy! I need to save the business from your idiotic practices! How dare you come here and think you can just take back that commoner brat!"

Ranka stepped forward a bit and moved in to flank Tamaki. His hand went out to Haruhi, and he gripped her limp hand tightly in his once more. He remained silent, however, determined to allow Yuzuru to deal with his aging mother.

Tamaki, on the other hand, was not feeling quite so obliging. "How dare you, grandmother," he said evenly, lips pursed and eyes narrowed in a dangerous manner. "How dare you kidnap my girlfriend just so you could have your way with Suou Empire. I'm not even the heir! You could have given it to anyone! Why did you have to put me through such pain? How dare you!" His voice coursed with anger, and his grip was so tight his knuckles were white, and Haruhi let out an unconscious grunt of pain. He let his grip up quickly, looking down at her in concern.

Yuzuru turned toward his son, eyes pained, and then he said, "Mother, let's go into the house where we can sort all of this out. We can get Haruhi settled inside and dry her and Tamaki off, and then you and I are going to have a nice, long chat."

Arianne took it upon herself to take the older woman's arm and turn her toward the house, while Yuzuru took the other arm and glanced at his former lover over the top of his mother's head. Tamaki followed resolutely behind, and the rest of the group filed in accordingly.

When they reached the house, Arianne immediately walked Takako to the stairs, which Renge, Beppe, and Eclaire knew to be the safest place for the older woman. If she was upstairs, it would take her longer to find her way back downstairs where she could escape. They needed to keep her there until Yuzuru's plan went into effect, whatever plan that was.

One of the maids appeared ready to stop Arianne until Eclaire spat out, "Get out of the way! No one is to disturb us. Get back to your work, now!" When the maid looked like she would argue, Beppe glared down at her, and she stepped back, bowing her head meekly and turning away from the group that was now attracting more attention from the working maids.

Arianne led them into the upstairs library where they sat Takako on the sofa between Yuzuru and Kyouya. Renge, Beppe, and Eclaire helped the others find seats as Tamaki stood uncertainly in the doorway, torn between wanting to be a part of the conversation and wanting to help Haruhi.

"Come on, son," Arianne finally said softly, giving a cautious glance to the silent woman on the couch. She seemed to have gone into some sort of shock with the arrival of her son and grandson. Putting her hand on Tamaki's shoulder, his mother said, "Let's go get Haruhi dried off and cleaned up. I'll show you to her room."

Tamaki looked at his mother and asked, "Have you been here the whole time?" She nodded, and he smiled slightly. "Then I know she's been in good hands."

The two walked out, and when the door closed behind them, Yuzuru sighed loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "They really are a beautiful couple," he said, almost to himself. "And she is a beautiful woman."

"It's no wonder you fell for her," Ranka said, smiling at his friend. The two had gotten together on occasion once their children started dating seriously. Ranka felt a companionship with the other man through the losses of the women they loved, and he now knew what an incredible woman Yuzuru had once had.

At Ranka's comment, Takako seemed to awaken from her stupor. "You stupid fool," she hissed at Ranka, scowling at him and then turning to Yuzuru with fire in her eyes. "You fell for that wretched hussy and let her get pregnant with that idiotic boy! It's all your fault I had to do this in the first place! If you'd only had her abort him like I asked-"

"Mother!" Yuzuru's ire was evident as he glared full on at the woman who had controlled his life for more years than he liked to count. "How can you say such a thing about Tamaki? He is my son! I love him! And you should love him, too. He is your grandson, after all."

Takako's face twisted into something ugly and sinister as she replied, "That _thing_ is no grandson of mine! You should have disinherited him. If only you'd gotten your _wife _pregnant, you would have an heir for the business, but noooo, you had to go and find a mistress to fill your need! And look what's come of it!"

Yuzuru's face was stricken, his eyes wide with surprise and hurt, and his mouth agape. He stared at the woman who had made sure he was taken care of as a child as if he'd never seen her before. She had a wild look in her eyes, a touch of insanity that had gripped her, and he was suddenly afraid of what lengths she would go to in her quest to destroy Tamaki.

"I think Tamaki has turned into a wonderful heir," Kyouya interjected, seeing the stricken Suou incapable of speech. Takako turned her icy gaze to him, and he returned the look coolly. "He's incredibly intelligent, speaks various languages, has some of the top grades in our class, is compassionate, and has a creative streak to rival most companies' best employees. You couldn't ask for someone better suited to run Suou Industries."

"And you would know all about that after scheming behind your own father's back for years," sneered Takako, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "I suppose you believe he would help you to inherit that lovely big chunk of company your father still holds? I'm afraid your father wouldn't turn it over to you under any circumstances, though. He happens to believe you don't have what it takes to run a company like Ootori Zaibatsu. I agree."

Kyouya's eyes never changed, the glasses flashed slightly, but he remained stoic. "I suppose that is true," he mused, rubbing a finger along his chin appraisingly, "but unfortunately for Father, he won't have the chance to decide. I fear your sources are not as informative as they appear."

"What are you talking about, boy?" She asked, eyes flashing dangerously. "I speak with Ootori himself on a regular basis. Who are you to say he has no choice in the decision?"

Kyouya smirked at her and answered, "Hasn't he mentioned his newest investor's growing stock? I'm afraid Father's shares have been stolen right out from under him. He's a mere overseer at this point, doing as he's told, unable to get his stock back."

The group watched as Suou Takako took in this information and seemed to be gathering her strength to speak. As suddenly as she opened her mouth, however, her eyes went blank, struggling to focus. She looked wildly around the room and saw Yuzuru again. Her eyes focused on him with effort, and she began to think again.

"Do you know why I have done all this, son?" She asked him softly, voice kind for once. He shook his head. "I've done it for you! I did it for us! I wanted you to be free of that parasite you call a son and able to move on with your life away from that wretched woman. That's why Eclaire was sent to Japan in the first place!"

Saying this seemed to remind her that other people were in the room, and she turned to Eclaire, standing off to the side in Beppe's loose embrace. "And if you hadn't failed, he would have left Japan for good, you stupid girl," she spat, glaring with a hatred that seemed to burn through them. "Then we could have tried to find another wife for dear Yuzuru, and he could have children who are worthy to inherit the Suou business. But you just had to go home without him, didn't you?"

Eclaire glared right back at the woman and answered her rudely. "I was in love with a dream of a man. Arianne had told me about him, and even though I see who she saw, I am in love with Giuseppe! You will not tear us apart, you crazy witch!"

It seemed that Eclaire surprised herself with the force of her statement because a moment later her eyes widened in shock, and she buried her face in Beppe's strong chest. He ran a soothing hand down her trembling back before taking her hand in his and leading her silently from the room. Toru and Kanako followed the couple, hoping to offer some comfort.

"Why do you hate Milord anyway?" Hikaru suddenly asked, sitting up straighter in his chair. "It doesn't make any sense. If anything, you should hate your son for divorcing his wife and running off with a mistress in the first place."

This gave the woman pause, and she glared off into space for a moment before a sly smile crept across her features. The twins sat back in disgust for the smile twisted her features into a grotesque mask, and even Yuzuru was disturbed.

She looked at Kaoru, not realizing it was his twin who had spoken. "You really want to know?" She asked. He only nodded in response. "What do you know about shibboleths?"

Kaoru exchanged a glance with his brother and then said, "I don't. What should I know?"

Kyouya interrupted, "It refers to any practice used to distinguish between people of a particular regional or social background. It's a Biblical term."

"Indeed," she answered, giving him a marginally contemptuous glance, "but it's not just that. The Biblical context is regional. The word 'shibboleth' was used to distinguish between Ephraimites, who could not pronounce it, and Gileadites, who could." She grinned now, and it caused shivers to course down the twins spines. "The Ephraimites were killed when they could not pronounce the word."

"I don't see how that has anything to do with Tamaki or Haruhi, for that matter," Hikaru said. But Kyouya was showing signs of figuring out the woman's game, and the cousins had speculative glances that showed clear signs of disgust. Even Ranka-san seemed to understand the hidden meaning, and Yuzuru's eyes had widened once more, giving him a frightened appearance.

She smirked and answered the unspoken question, directing her gaze to Yuzuru. "Did you know that Arianne is the French version of the Greek Ariadne? And Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos in Greek mythology."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Hideyo said, speaking for the first time since entering the house.

Takako nodded at the girl and then said, "Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and helped him to escape from the labyrinth and the Minotaur. According to mythology, her love for him was legendary, but he abandoned her. Ironic, isn't it, son, that your poor Arianne was abandoned by you as well? I believe that makes her just as much a poor commoner as anything."

Yuzuru's fists clenched convulsively in his lap, and his mother only made it worse when she reached over to grip one of his hands possessively. "I saved you from that wretched hussy before she could sink her claws into you. If only I'd forced the abortion on her; I gave her all the tools and even had the doctors on standby. She should have taken the money and done it," she mused, her eyes glazed over with memories.

Shaking her head, she smiled at her son, whose face was twisted with grief, "But I managed to ruin her family, didn't I? And even though it wasn't what I planned, I tried to bring that foolish child in to become the heir he should have been. Unfortunate, really, that he's too stupid to learn."

There was something speculative in her gaze that gave the group pause. She glared at Hideyo now, her eyes venomous with fury. "I believed he would have understood the second chance I was giving him when you showed up at his house with that letter," she spat, voice low.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked, fists clenched as he leaned toward Hideyo in a protective move.

Looking between the two, her eyes narrowed further, and she said, "I gave you a chance with him, you twit. You could have had a fortune to help your father, but you chose not to act when you had opportunity. He was grieving! He could have easily been yours!"

Hideyo glared and replied, "I don't want him! You foolish hag, I figured out your game when Father told me I must do whatever it took to make you happy. You knew I was ill, and you hoped I would convince Tamaki to marry me and then die. You wanted to bring him more grief! I couldn't do that to him!"

Her outburst cost her, however, and as Takako cackled, Hideyo crumpled back against the loveseat. "At least I was kind enough to offer you some comfort in your ailment, stupid girl. You would have been well taken care of," she hissed. Hideyo's eyes widened and then rolled back in her head, closing in a faint. Kaoru stood immediately and picked her up, carrying her out of the room, Hikaru close behind.

Looking at those left in the room, Takako noted that only her fiercest enemies were present, with the exception of the cousins and Renge. Her eyes went slightly out of focus once more, and she said, more to herself than anyone else, "Takako means 'noble child,' and I am descended from royalty. I will not have my name sullied by such foolishness any longer. This filth is not worthy of my name; it must be cleansed."

Yuzuru exchanged a horrified glance with Ranka, whose face had paled. "What do you intend to do, Mother?" He asked her, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"That Tamaki will wed Hideyo and watch her die. She can't live much longer," she said, eyes still distant. "He'll be crushed and unable to resist me. I'll send him as far away as possible where he won't be able to tarnish the Suou name any longer."

Here she paused, as though trying to collect her thoughts. "Yuzuru will remarry. I'm certain he'll be able to have another child, and that child will be the proper Suou heir. I'll train him myself. None of that Ouran Academy foolishness for the true heir."

Yuzuru stared at his mother in shock and then told her, "But Mother, I can't have children. Don't you remember? The doctors told me it would never happen."

She appeared not to have heard him as she continued her plans, "That Fujioka chit needs to be taken care of. And the De Luca and Tonniere idiots. But it's all right. I've got a safe house to move them into before Tamaki even figures out where to find them--if he figures it out. When he doesn't find them, I'll make certain Fujioka Haruhi never sees the light of day again. And De Luca and Tonniere will never be able to wed; their families will be ruined."

Glaring out at the rug, she gave a twisted smile once more and said, "Ootori will never know what hit him. My stock in his feeble company will easily overpower any others, and I'll be able to take it over for certain this time. Then I'll teach that ridiculous son of his some respect. Befriending the Suou heir just to get a leg up," she scoffed. "Who does he think he is?"

Kyouya's eyes narrowed at the depths of depravity to which this once legendary woman had sunk. The crazed look in her eyes was enough to convince him that she was well and truly insane, but he didn't know how Yuzuru was planning to deal with her, even though he had a good guess.

Her mouth opened again, but the door also opened, and two men walked in. Apparently the twins had not closed the door completely on their way out because the men were white-faced and stern, walking across the room. Takako did not notice them.

"I might even offer him a place in the business," she mused, her face pensive. "He's proven to be clever, ousting Yoshio from at least one business and getting ahead of the Tonniere's. Though I shouldn't allow him any real power. Perhaps I'll have him hushed up and manage to get the other business away from him."

A third man now walked in, his face impassive. He sighed and looked at the woman before him and then said in French, "Suou Takako, you give me no choice. After listening to you speak, I have determined that your son is correct in his assessment of your mental state. I am ordering that you be placed in a home where you can be treated for your psychological health."

The second man picked up where the other finished. "I am a witness to the order of the doctor, here, and I believe that means your company contract must be examined." Takako's eyes widened in shock as she appeared to come out of her state of madness. He opened a manila envelope and pulled out a sheath of papers. Reading it, he said, "It is apparent in your contract that if you are deemed to no longer have the capacity to run Suou Industries, as determined by a professional physician, your son will gain immediate access to the company as head and you will no longer hold that position."

Switching his gaze from Takako to Yuzuru, he said, "This means that you are now the sole head of Suou Industries. You are also, according to the document, the executor of Suou Takako's estate and person."

"You can't do this!" Takako suddenly yelled, fury in her voice making it a shriek. "This is outrageous! You have no authority to do this!"

The first man now spoke in Japanese, staring at her with a stern countenance, "We do have the authority because we are associated with your company's law firm. Your son contacted us when he arrived in France, and we have come to validate his claims." Pulling out a small tape recorder from his pocket, he said, "We have evidence that you conspired against your son, grandson, and several others. We also have evidence that you are not in any fit mental state to run a company, let alone be allowed to remain as you are. For that reason, we are recommending immediate medical treatment and confinement."

Takako's eyes had widened, making the whites of her eyes appear to obscure her pupils. She stood, her face enraged before it suddenly changed. Once more the insanity had returned to her unfocused pupils, and the group in the room grew nervous.

"Where is the restroom?" She asked, voice polite but cold. "I have not had the chance to freshen up since our guests arrived, and no one has bothered to tell me where it is."

When no one spoke, her face grew stony. Renge immediately said, "Suou-san, the restroom is out the door and to the right. It's the third door on the left."

Nodding curtly, Takako marched out the door, leaving it open. One of the men watching suddenly shouted, "She went left! She's headed for the stairs!"

They stood as one, everyone rushing for the door to see where Takako could be headed. The ruckus gave her a moment's notice, and as they rounded the door, the ones in front, Mori and Hunny among them, could see Takako shuffling quickly to the stairs, trying to get away from them.

As they ran after her, they heard a sudden cry, and her body disappeared. Reaching the top of the stairs, the group suddenly stopped, horrified at the sight below. A crumpled Suou Takako lay at an awkward angle, her legs spread, and her right arm trapped beneath her body with her left jutting out to the side, obviously broken. Her eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling as the cries of terrified maids nearby reached the ones standing above.

"She tripped," Hunny said, breaking the eerie silence that had fallen over them.

"Is she-?" Renge began to ask, breaking off in horror.

"Yes," said Mori. "She's dead."

* * *

_A/N: Well, folks, I don't know what you were expecting, but hopefully this wasn't it. Now before you get onto me about killing off Suou Takako, it had to be done. And as for her reasoning, I hope to explain that a bit more in the next chapter, but I started some of it in this one. We'll see more of Haruhi, Tamaki, and Arianne next chapter as well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and let me know what you thought in a review! Thanks for reading! _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-  
_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: We've reached the end, my friends. It's been a lovely journey and a wonderful story to write, but I'm afraid we're almost done with dear Htelobbihs. I hope this chapter doesn't seem too rushed to you, but let me know if you have any problems with it. It just kind of wrote itself... so, with no further ado... enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only. Thanks!  
_

**Htelobbihs: Chapter Fourteen**

**By: Rae**

-An 'Ouran High School Host Club' Fanfic-

_She gazed around the room, staring with wonder at the group gathered before her. It was obvious they were all boys, even the smallest one, and she'd registered the words 'host club' before being dragged into this mess. Now having been branded the host club dogsbody, she stood before them, glasses slightly askew, listening to the introductions the blond-haired 'king' was making. _

_The smallest was Haninozuka 'Hunny' Mitsukuni, and he smiled up at her childishly, grabbing her hand gleefully. Next to him was his cousin Morinozuka 'Mori' Takashi. He inclined his head with a solemn stare. The twins from her class were Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru, holding hands and smirking impishly at her. The glasses-wearing boy was Ootori Kyouya, and the president of the club, waving his arms dramatically and smiling broadly at her, was Suou Tamaki. _

_She bowed slightly, feeling more familiar with them, and as she glimpsed the floor before her, mists swirled, engulfing her in them. She whirled around and landed, haphazardly on the floor, groaning. The sound of another's groaning met her ears, and she looked next to her to see Hikaru slumped next to her, clutching a small pair of scissors and cursing. The remains of a net were around them, and she saw in the dim light the halls of Ouran. _

_The next minute, the two were running, Hikaru ahead of her, screaming for Kaoru, and she was following him into...blinding sunlight. She stopped running immediately, finding herself pulled into a gazebo at what seemed to be the heart of a maze. Her eyes sought her captor, and she stared into the violet ones of Tamaki, shushing her with a gentle finger to her lips. _

_She huddled down in the gazebo with him, her form comforted somehow by the strength of his. And she whispered with him as they waited to see if they would be found by the seekers. A sound of laughter met their ears, and the rest of the host club came into view, led by Kyouya. They walked back to the school together, joking about Tamaki's status as son of the head of Ouran. She stopped in shock, eyes huge in her round face, barely able to digest such a fact. _

_The mists swirled around her, and she heard the distinct sound of thunder. Her heart pounded in her chest as she raced to the nearest place to hide, finding it in a dark room. The dresser was large enough for her to climb inside, and she did so, huddling in the dark, clutching her knees to her chest, trembling. _

_The door opened, and she saw a bemused Tamaki watching her. He said something to her, but she couldn't respond. Thunder crashed again, and before she knew what she was doing, she found herself hurtling into Tamaki's arms and snuggling up against him, trying to bury herself in his warmth. She could feel the surprise radiating off him, but she didn't care. _

_Another clap of thunder came, and she was aware of the torrential rain pouring down on the house where they stood, him stroking her back. But now his arms were gone, and the sound of rain became the sound of waves. She stood on a rock, stubbornly arguing with two teens, who glared at her as girls shuddered behind them. The sound of her name caught her off guard, and the one nearest her shoved her hard, over the rocks. She didn't care; she could swim. But as she plunged headfirst, she felt two arms wrap around her body with care, a hand covering the top of her head, protecting her as they hit the water. _

_She came to as they walked back to shore, held securely in his embrace. Her legs dangled, and she felt utterly drained and limp, just happy not to have to walk by herself. But he wasn't happy with her; she could feel it, and she wanted to reach up to touch him..._

_She stared in surprise, no longer in his arms, but by his side. They walked along the path to her house, and she felt him take hold of her hand. The night had been lovely, and she thought fondly of the dinner they'd shared. He was adorable and so like a child sometimes. When she smiled up at him as they turned the corner to her street, however, her breath caught in her throat. _

_He stopped, pulling her to a halt, and the look in his eyes was deep, unfathomable, she couldn't pull away. He stepped closer to her, moving the hand holding hers to her waist, and she shivered. This wasn't what they had planned, and she was afraid to see what would happen next. His hand felt so good against her, though, and she moved her hand to his arm, touching it lightly. _

_The gleam in his eyes intensified at her movement, and he put his other hand up, cupping her cheek lightly. She closed her eyes at the sensation, and then she felt herself being drawn forward, and her lips met his softly, slowly, securely. She was shocked and pleased and thrilled and a million other emotions that exploded inside her at the contact. _

_Then the vision faded, but she still felt his lips on hers, almost calling her deeper into the dream. A thousand pieces of a puzzle she hadn't been able to put together, suddenly flooded her mind. His lips held her in place, and her head pounded, the puzzle pieces flitting through quickly, surely, putting themselves back together again. _

Haruhi awoke suddenly, sitting up so quickly, she hit her head against some object that was in front of her. The object groaned.

Her eyes flew open, and she sought the noise. There before her stood Tamaki, clutching his forehead in pain with his eyes closed. Her heart burgeoned within her at the sight, and she looked past him at the sudden movement of someone behind him. She recognized Arianne, now putting the puzzle pieces together into a coherent pattern.

He relaxed into his mother's touch as she pried his hands from his forehead. And as he opened his eyes, Haruhi gasped. The beautiful violet orbs from her dreams now met her own brown ones, and she felt herself flooded with a hundred different emotions. Realizing how she had been kidnapped and now knowing why, she felt intense relief and gratitude at how he had rescued her, for the umpteenth time.

Mistaking the look in her eyes for confusion, Tamaki waved his mother away and sat in the chair opposite the bed, staring at her sadly as he said, "I"m sorry, I shouldn't have done that. You just seemed so tense and frustrated, and you were thrashing about. I couldn't get you to stop, and you looked so beautiful so I kissed you."

She almost laughed, realizing now that the lips she'd felt in her dream had been real. They had guided her back to him. But he was babbling again, "I know you don't remember me, and I'm so sorry for doing that. I just couldn't help it. I mean, we used to do it all the time." He stopped here and blushed profusely under her skeptical gaze. She nearly laughed again. "Er-well, not all the time, but a lot of the time, and I was so worried about you. I couldn't sleep, and I didn't eat much. We looked for you and tried to figure out the clues, and it was just so frustrating and-"

"Shh," she stopped him, smiling softly at him. She didn't say his name for she wanted to surprise him. "Come here," she told him, patting the bed beside him.

Tamaki stood up, looking uneasy, while Arianne looked on, bemused. He stepped over to the bed and sat down gingerly, keeping a slight distance between Haruhi and himself.

She managed to push herself up into a sitting position with his help, but he retracted his hands from her much too quickly for her liking. She smirked at him now, and he gulped audibly, pulling a chuckle from his mother. Haruhi reached a hand forward and touched his arm slightly, mimicking the rubbing motions she often used on him when they were together.

His eyes widened and seemed to lose focus slightly, causing her to giggle a bit. They snapped back to attention, however, when she cupped his cheek gently, pulling him towards her. He resisted for a moment, staring confusedly into her eyes before she took the initiative and pulled him harder into a searing kiss.

Tamaki was hesitant at first, which Haruhi understood, so she simply pressed her mouth harder against his. Knowing the way he normally kissed her, she decided to show him that she was herself again. She opened her mouth slightly and let her tongue slip out slightly, barely brushing against his lips.

This surprised him so much, he jerked and opened his mouth in shock, trying to get far enough away to stare at her. But Haruhi would have none of it. Putting her hand around his neck, she used the break in the kiss to slant her mouth over his still-open one, licking his lips first in a slow, teasing motion, and then easing her tongue into his mouth.

She could feel it the moment he understood what was happening. His arms suddenly wrapped around her, holding her in place against him as one hand tightened against her waist and the other weaved lightly through her hair.

Now his tongue moved against hers, meeting hers like a long-lost mate finally come home. She shivered at his touch, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth when she allowed him access.

They broke the kiss a moment later, gasping for breath and staring at one another in shock. Haruhi finally got ahold of herself and pecked him lightly on the cheek, smiling softly at him.

"Thank you, Tamaki," she said, eyes suddenly wet with tears as the enormity of the situation reached her. "You've saved me so many times; thank you."

She wiped at a tear that trailed down her cheek and tried to avoid his gaze, suddenly embarrassed. He chuckled at her and put a hand under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

"I should be thanking you, Haruhi," he told her sincerely, eyes also wet with unshed tears. He trailed a finger down the path of her tear and said, "You've given me something priceless, and I could never thank you enough for it."

She was puzzled and asked him, "What have I given you?" Her voice was a whisper, and she trembled slightly under the heat of his gaze.

He smiled gently, leaned closer so that his lips brushed against hers, grinning at the shiver that ran down her spine. "You've given me a chance to love you," he told her simply. And then his lips were on hers again, and she felt like she'd come home at last.

When they broke apart this time, Tamaki was so close to her she could feel his heartbeat against her breast. The clearing of a throat reminded them they were not alone, and they turned, still in one another's arms, to see Arianne watching them with an amused smile.

Haruhi blushed, but she could see the tears in Arianne's eyes and knew the woman was not angry. Arianne looked from Haruhi to her son and then said, "I don't believe you could have chosen a better woman, Tamaki. You two are a beautiful couple, and I'm so happy for you both!"

Tamaki let go of Haruhi to reach out to his mother. Arianne took his hand, and he pulled her onto the bed with them. Haruhi reached out and arm to the woman who had been so kind to her despite the circumstances they found themselves in; she hugged Arianne with one arm while Tamaki did the same on the other side. The three began to laugh and cry together, laughing more as they saw one another's tears.

"Ahem," came a rather stern voice, and they pulled apart to see Kyouya standing in the doorway, Yuzuru and Ranka behind him. He walked in at Tamaki's nod, and they saw Renge, Reiko, Hunny, and Mori behind them.

"I take it you are much improved, Haruhi?" Kyouya asked dryly with a smirk as he gazed pointedly at her hand, which was interlocked with Tamaki's now.

She blushed and said, "I am, Kyouya-senpai, thank you for asking."

He smiled at her, a genuine smile, and said, "Good. I'm glad to hear it-"

"Ha-ru-chan!" Hunny's childish voice interrupted the other man, and she grinned when he launched himself at the bed, avoiding Arianne barely and knocking Tamaki slightly to the side. He hugged her tightly, and she returned the hug, enjoying having her memories back.

Ranka was the next to speak, rushing to the bed and jumping on it behind Hunny, who moved away when he heard Ranka say, "Oh Haruhi! Daddy's here now! Are you all right?"

Haruhi smiled at her father and nodded. He burst into tears and cradled her in his arms, Haruhi returning the awkward hug and grinning abashed at her friends.

Ranka might have continued crying and holding her for ages if it weren't for Tamaki's question to his father. "Where is she?"

She looked up, knowing who he referred to. As she did so, Ranka's arms loosened, and he pulled away from her solemnly.

Yuzuru surveyed the ones on the bed and then answered his son. "She's dead."

Arianne gasped, horrified, and Haruhi's eyes widened as Tamaki asked, "What? How?!"

"She realized that your father was going to have her contract broken with Suou Industries and decided to try to run away," Kyouya explained. "She tripped on the stairs and fell down them. I believe she broke her neck. The maids are seeing to her now."

Tamaki's face paled, but Arianne stood up and looked at Yuzuru as she said, "I'll go see to her. She'll want her dignity intact, I'm sure." Yuzuru nodded at her, and their eyes lingered on one another for a moment before the woman turned and made her way out of the room.

"I don't understand," Haruhi finally said, "why she did all this. I know why she kidnapped me. I'm just a poor commoner, not fit for anyone of Suou blood." Tamaki balked at this, but she grabbed his hand to silence him. "But why would she kidnap Renge and the others? It doesn't make sense."

"She said it had something to do with shibboleths, Haruhi," Ranka told his daughter, nodding sagely despite looking a little silly.

She mused for a minute before saying, "Again, that makes sense for me, and even for Arianne, because she wouldn't have stood up to the shibboleth that is the Suou name and power. But Renge isn't a commoner. Neither is Reiko or any of the others Renge told me about. They all have names and power, even if they're not equal to the Suou name."

Kyouya explained, "That's just it, Haruhi. She elevated the Suou name in her mind far above the rest of the world. In her delusional world, Suou Takako saw the Suous as being royalty, just as her name can be interpreted to mean noble child. And she was furious with Yuzuru-san and Tamaki for sullying that name with anyone not on their level."

He continued when she nodded in comprehension, "She kidnapped the others for reasons similar to that; though, she also had some ulterior motives. For example," he said, "she kidnapped Reiko because she is engaged to Hunny-senpai."

Reiko and Hunny turned stunned eyes to Kyouya as the rest of the group stared at the couple in surprise. Mori, it seemed, was the only one who was not surprised by this news or the fact Kyouya knew it.

"Congratulations, Reiko-chan!" Renge said, smiling broadly and grabbing her friend in a hug. Reiko seemed a bit hesitant at first but then returned the hug, murmuring her thanks.

"But how did you know, Kyou-chan?" Hunny finally asked his friend, looking amusedly puzzled.

"I have my ways," the black-haired male said, glasses flashing. The familiarity of his look and statement caused the friends to laugh at such a normal thing.

"How can you be laughing at a time like this?" The female voice shrieked from the doorway brought the laughter to an abrupt halt. Beppe and Eclaire entered the room, followed by Toru, Kanako, Hideyo, Kaoru, and Hikaru.

Eclaire glared at the ones in the room, her brows raised when she saw the intimate position of Tamaki and Haruhi. "Suou Takako is dead, there are police at the door, a man has been brought into the house in handcuffs, and you're all here laughing?!" Her voice had escalated to a high-pitched wine towards the end, and Beppe put a soothing hand on her back, trying to calm her down.

"Who's been brought in, Eclaire?" Yuzuru asked her, looking surprised.

Beppe answered for her. "The police said his name was Fredricks and that his was working for Suou-san. They said he turned himself in this morning and told them about a plot against us, Renge, and Haruhi."

"They're asking what happened to your mother, Yuzuru-san," Hikaru added, eyes dark. "They think there's some sort of foul play and are demanding to see you."

"I suppose we should go get things worked out then," Yuzuru said, sighing heavily before standing and beckoning to the others to do the same. As a group, they left the room, Tamaki and Haruhi falling in behind the rest, and they went to the foyer to find the chaos that had taken over the once quiet room.

* * *

Hours later, they had sorted things out with the police. Takako was taken to the funeral home, and most of the maids had been put to work helping the cooks put together a full meal to celebrate the rescue of Renge and Haruhi.

It turned out that Fredricks was a man Takako had engaged for various bits of subterfuge in the past, including a plot to end Arianne's father's life. He'd backed out of that plan because he refused to murder, but he was guilty of various other crimes through Takako's leadership. The police had charged him with theft, embezzlement, bribery, and a host of other crimes before taking him away.

Kyouya helped explain more about Takako's shibboleth by telling the group the reason for the abductions. According to him, Takako had Reiko kidnapped because she did not embody the air of one who should be given a position of power, even if that only came in the form of a marriage to an heir. It dawned on them that Takako extended some of her shibboleth ideas to the rest of the host group once she realized Tamaki would never abandon his friends.

Thus, she believed Reiko to be of little worth to the Haninozukas and wanted to dispose of her. Her reasoning for kidnapping Renge, it turned out, was similar.

"You mean to tell me that she thought Renge was a threat to someone's name?" Hikaru asked, looking puzzled at Kyouya, who had brought up the idea inadvertently.

By this time, half the room seemed to be in on some joke that none of the others understood. Kaoru looked at them and wondered what they knew that he didn't. Echoing his brother, he asked, "But who in the world could she be with? I mean, Haruhi's with Tamaki, Reiko's with Hunny-senpai. Mori-senpai doesn't date, and we're single."

Hikaru took up his brother's train of thought, not noticing the smirks on the faces of his friends or the look of dawning comprehension on his brother's. "And that only leaves... Kyouya-senpai, and why on earth would she want to be with the low blood pressure demon lord?!"

"Because I'm in love with him," Renge's voice suddenly said, and everyone watched as she stood from her chair and walked over to where Kyouya leaned against the hearth. Before anyone else could say anything, she grinned at the twins and said, "And we're getting married." Then she kissed him hard, and the twins' jaws dropped as they watched their former schoolmate return the kiss rather enthusiastically.

Looking at one another, the twins' expressions caused the rest of the room the laugh uproariously.

After some more talk and lots of debating, the group discovered that Kyouya had begun dating Renge seriously after he got into college. He'd managed to seduce her during his last year in Ouran, but she realized his trick and blew up at him, which gave him pause. Then he'd tried to purposefully flirt with her, using some of his charm and intelligence to win her over. He asked her out on his graduation day.

"And all of this went on under our noses," Haruhi mused, smiling at the couple who now sat together on the loveseat.

"Kyouya mon ami is good at that," Tamaki reminded her, squeezing her hand from where they say on the couch. He smiled at her and then asked a question that had been plaguing him. "But I don't understand why she thought Renge was so important to kidnap, especially since she kept her here with Haruhi. She must have had some other reason."

Kyouya exchanged glances with Renge, who nodded and smiled encouragingly. "We didn't want anyone to know, but KO has been on the loose buying up stocks again," he began, watching their expressions. Tamaki, surprisingly enough, caught on first, nodding in comprehension and beckoning him to continue. "My father wasn't too pleased when he realized KO was diversifying into other companies' stocks besides his own. So he began a deliberate campaign to force KO back to an arena he could control.

"But what he didn't count on was RH joining the bidding and giving KO a disguise," he continued. "So under the guise of newcomer RH, KO continued bidding and gaining control of various smaller companies one by one. Eventually I discovered a plot against the Houshakujis, and RH was able to successfully avoid the plot by convincing the Houshakujis to liquidate into KO Industries."

Haruhi's eyes were huge as she and Tamaki realized what had happened. Some of the others were in similar states of surprise, but those like Reiko and the cousins, and even Yuzuru, seemed to have anticipated this course.

"You're all thinking it, so we might as well be blunt," Renge pointed out, elbowing Kyouya inelegantly in the ribs. He gave her a mock glare but acquiesced to his pretty fiance with a smile. "You see," she said in explanation, "Takako-san was trying to sabotage my father's company for some unknown reason. And Kyouya developed the plan that led to my father liquidating but doing it quietly. Everyone believes he's at the head of a company that's going down in smoke, but the truth is that Kyouya left him to manage and has been feeding the company money and resources to help build it back up out of his own companies. We've allowed the rumors to continue because we didn't want any of this business to get out to the public just yet."

"And with the addition of Houshakuji Industries to my own holdings," Kyouya added, "I have gathered enough ammunition against my father to take what I own of Ootori Zaibatsu and leave him. I no longer need to be made the heir because I can essentially control the rest of the businesses through my shares as KO and RH."

Now that the truth was out, the group was surprised and in awe of how the entire story had played out. Looking around the room, they realized that so much had happened right under their noses, and they began to understand the beauty of this tale.

Hunny and Reiko were officially engaged, and the story would be released to the public in a month's time. They would marry within the next year. Kyouya and Renge were not technically engaged, but Kyouya had the plan for how it would play out. Mori would be taking over as heir of his family's company as would the twins. Kaoru was slated to run his mother's fashion business while Hikaru planned to handle his father's computer business. Everyone knew the two would work together, though. And Tamaki had rescued his Haruhi, hopefully for the last time.

The group decided to stay in France for a time and spent the night at the manor before moving to one of Renge's beach homes. Everyone was invited, and even Beppe and Eclaire joined them in their merrymaking. The two were thrilled to have gotten out of their predicament, and by the end of the week, they had run off to elope, thwarting both their families in the process.

Arianne was released from her duties by Renge and was sufficiently well enough to travel to the beach home, which she did. She spent most of her time catching up with Yuzuru and Tamaki. The three were enjoying being a family again, even though they were very untraditional. She spent time with Haruhi as well, getting to know the woman she expected to have as a daughter-in-law soon.

The little group stayed a week in France. Renge remained a bit longer to spend time with her father, who was pleased to hear all about the engagement and her plans with Kyouya. The rest of them returned to Japan to get their lives back together.

Three months later, Tamaki, Haruhi, and the others received an invitation to Toru and Kanako's wedding. It was a lovely affair, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Haruhi and the twins graduated, Haruhi with highest honors. At the graduation reception, Tamaki managed to snatch Haruhi up for a walk around the grounds to remember Ouran by.

She held his hand and laughed with him as he meandered around the grounds, eventually settling on the path through the maze. Haruhi recognized it as the one they'd gone down when they were playing hide and seek. He led her straight to the gazebo, and she gasped.

In the dusky light, it was beautiful, full of hanging lanterns and candles. There was a table inside that had an exquisite bouquet of blood red roses, and she rushed inside to smell them. She glanced down and saw the card that had her name on it. Pulling it out, she began to read.

_Dear Haruhi,_

_You have always been my shibboleth, the one word in my heart that could save me from destruction. I can't imagine anyone else being the catalyst that would bring me to this point in my life. Like the shibboleth of the Gileadites, you are the one that I need to bring me back from the edge of death. Without you, there is no me. _

_You are the only one for me, and I love you dearly, deeply, and desperately. I can't imagine my life without you as a part of it. Now that you've graduated, I know you'll be able to go off and live your life the way you always wanted to, without the influence of the host club, without me. But, Haruhi, if you have come to the same realization that I have, then I want you to know two things. _

_First, I love you, Haruhi. Not as a father with his daughter or a friend. I love you as a husband loves his wife and desire you more than any other person or thing on earth. Believe that, Haruhi. _

_Second, if you would consent to it, I would be incredibly honored if you would consent to becoming my wife. I want you in my life now and always, and you are the only one worthy of this Suou. Please, Haruhi... if you're willing, turn around..._

Her eyes filled with tears as she read the card, and she turned with shaking hands to face the man she loved. She looked up for him, but he wasn't there. She glanced down and pressed her hands to her mouth when she saw him kneeling before her. His hand was lifted, holding an opened box with a beautiful diamond ring in it. He smiled at her hopefully.

"Haruhi?" He asked, catching her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

She couldn't speak, she could only hold out her hand and cry, tears of joy coursing down her cheeks. Tamaki gently pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. When he stood up, she could wait no longer and pulled him into a long, lingering kiss. They broke apart to the cheers of family and friends as people began pouring out of the maze to join them in and around the gazebo. Staring around, Haruhi had to admit to one thing.

Suou Takako made a shibboleth of status and power, feeling that strength in a name would increase strength in a person. Haruhi and Tamaki, she knew, were different. Their shibboleth was and always would be... love.

**-The End-**

_A/N: Well, there you have it... the end of the story. There will be an epilogue out shortly, probably this week or perhaps in two weeks. I go on vacation Saturday, but I promise to have the epilogue out before the end of June! I hope you enjoyed some of the romantic bits, even if they weren't what you expected, and be looking for more of that in the epilogue. As for the kiss scene between Tama and Haru... I just kind of made that up based on other things I've read. (I've never been kissed, so I'm not a good judge of kissing... thus, I don't usually write it.) I hope it wasn't too weird or awkward or what have you._

_If you've hung around this long, I'd be thrilled to hear what you think of the story, the conclusion, etc. I love all the reviews I've received, and I thank you all for sticking it out with me. Be looking forward to the epilogue, and then the story will truly be over for our friends. Thanks again to everyone who's read and reviewed, favorited and alerted, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _

_Until next time..._

_-Rae-  
_


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Well, this is officially the end of Htelobbihs! I hope you've enjoyed the run of this story, and thank you all for your beautiful reviews, favorites, alerts, and for reading in general! I appreciate the chance to end this story to over 100 reviews, and I can honestly say it was a joy writing it! Good luck in your reading, and I hope you find other exciting stories to enjoy and follow! Please feel free to leave a review on the way out; I'll be replying as I receive them! Thanks again, everyone, and I hope you like the epilogue!_

_Disclaimer:__ Nothing owned, nothing earned. Entertainment purposes only! Thanks! _

**Htelobbihs: Can You Say It?**

**By: Rae**

-An 'Ouran High School Host Club' Fanfic-

**Epilogue**

Six years after her graduation, Haruhi sat at her desk, busily finishing up the latest report for the company she worked for. Her university life had led her into law, which led her to commercial law. Now she worked in a law firm that represented some of the largest companies in Japan, and though she was working as an attorney, her bosses were concerned that she was too young to handle some of the larger cases, so they put her in charge of a small firm.

Surveying her writing, Haruhi corrected a small mistake and reread the report, making sure there were no more mistakes. Satisfied that everything was filled out to perfection, she put the pages into the file folder and then stuck that into a manila envelope, already addressed and stamped, waiting to be sent off. Following this, she checked her inbox to make sure nothing else would be piled up and then gathered her things, dropping the envelope in the mail room on her way out.

Her car was already waiting for her, and she waved them on quickly, hoping to get home soon. They had to be ready by 3:00 to get to the wedding on time, and she knew Tamaki would be worried that she wouldn't have the right outfit to wear. He always fussed over her and tried to buy her new clothes on a regular basis, but she was able to stay his desire to spoil her most of the time.

Walking into the house, she could already tell that chaos had arrived in the form of her blond-headed husband. A rueful smile spread across her lips as she crossed the foyer and passed by the sitting room. A few doors down, she halted, noticing Yuzuru sitting at his desk in the office.

"Getting ready for the wedding, Haruhi?" He asked her, rising to come give her a hug.

"Yes," she said. "I would have stayed at the office longer, but I knew Tamaki would pitch a fit if he thought I wasn't giving myself enough time to get ready."

They both laughed, and Yuzuru, already dressed and ready himself, waved her upstairs.

The Suou mansion was a beautiful place to live, and since Takako's death, Tamaki and his father had made some changes. After they arrived home from France, Yuzuru immediately had Tamaki's things moved into the mansion, no longer forcing his son to stay in the second Suou mansion. And Tamaki had been thrilled to finally see the interior of the home.

She remembered when he invited all the host club to come visit and gave them the grand tour, gasping and grinning over each new room. "Oh, and here's the grandfather clock!" "And look! We have a computer!" She still chuckled when she remembered his enthusiasm for even the smallest items the home had to offer.

After their wedding, Yuzuru offered to move into the second Suou mansion and leave this one to the newlyweds. They argued, and Tamaki finally prevailed when he reminded his father that they'd only had a short time to live like a real family and he wanted to spend more time with Yuzuru. So the three of them lived in the large house with Tamaki's dog and the maids.

Walking into their bedroom, she grinned and laughed when she saw Tamaki hopping around on one foot, trying to get his other foot into the leg of his pants. When he heard her laugh, he promptly fell onto the ground and craned his neck in the direction of the door, smiling at her in greeting.

"Perhaps you could try it sitting down?" She asked him in amusement, pointing to the pants he still hadn't put on.

"But I was in a hurry," he pouted, mock glaring at her and pulling his foot through the other leg of the pants but only slightly. He pushed himself up, grinning triumphantly when he gained his feet only to shout when he teetered backwards onto the bed.

Haruhi laughed loudly and strode into her closet to get the dress she planned to wear. Her husband was grumbling to himself as he zipped up the pants when she came back out. Four years of marriage had changed Tamaki into a man Haruhi deeply and dearly loved, and as she watched him button his shirt, she couldn't help but be grateful Takako's plan had failed.

They continued getting ready, Haruhi slipping into her dress and putting up her hair before putting on a minimal amount of makeup. When they were both finished, it was 2:30, and Tamaki was already anxious that they wouldn't arrive on time. Yuzuru came up at five minutes till, and the three of them walked down to the car together.

At the temple, they found their friends already seated and went to join them. It was a private ceremony, one that very few people had been invited to. Haruhi smiled when she saw the band walk in and waited for the wedding to begin.

A few minutes later, the priest walked in followed by Hikaru and Kaoru. Hikaru's face was set and pleasantly calm while his twin looked pale and anxious. Haruhi wondered if they realized they'd come in in the wrong order. Grinning, she watched as the twins switched places automatically, and a few of the audience laughed.

The music changed, and the maid of honor walked up the aisle, smiling and holding her bouquet gently. Then the music changed again, and Haruhi stood with the rest of the audience, watching in silence as the bride walked in. She held her breath and tears came to her eyes as she saw the beautiful wedding dress. It reminded her of her own special day, and she could tell Tamaki felt the same for he found her hand and squeezed it gently.

When the congregation had been seated, Haruhi linked her fingers with Tamaki's and listened as the priest began the ceremony.

"Hitachiin Kaoru, do you take this woman to be your lawful wife?" The man solemnly said.

"I do," Kaoru said, smiling at his bride.

"Ayanokoji Hideyo, do you take this man to be your lawful husband?" The man now said.

She grinned through tear-filled eyes and replied, "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," he told them. "You may kiss the bride."

Kaoru gave Hideyo his best devilish grin before taking her into his arms and dipping her into a searing kiss. Haruhi cheered with the rest of the host club and congregation as the kiss continued. It only stopped when Hikaru cleared his throat loudly.

The reception was a joyful one that Haruhi fully enjoyed. She found herself at a table with Yuzuru, Tamaki, Hunny, Reiko, Mori, Kyouya, and Renge. They'd already greeted some of the other guests, including Toru, Kanako, Kasanoda, and Nekozawa. As they were part of the shibboleth group, which was how they viewed themselves once the truth had come out, they'd all become closer friends. Their shared experiences brought them together.

After arriving home from France, Haruhi mused, it had only been a matter of time before Kaoru began to see Hideyo in a more romantic light. Obviously it began when she grew sick on their trip, but it continued to grow from mere concern to genuine attraction, eventually settling into love as more than a year passed.

Hideyo, for her part, had remained in Japan and begun a friendship with the twins that no one expected. She'd even reconciled with Haruhi, and they now joked about their past. After confiding in Haruhi that she loved Kaoru, Haruhi had asked Hideyo how she knew it was Kaoru she loved.

"He's just so different from Hikaru," she confessed. "Hikaru has a completely different feel to him than Kaoru, and when I'm with Kaoru, I just feel like I've finally come home. He's amazing and warm and caring, and I can't help myself, Haruhi! I'm in love with the man!"

That conversation had told Haruhi the affection was real and not confused between the twins. So she silently cheered them on when Kaoru got up the courage to ask Hideyo out. It was only a matter of time, really, before they knew they were supposed to be together. They would have married sooner had it not been for Hideyo's worsening health.

She'd gotten increasingly sick a year after the kidnappings and was rushed to the hospital one day suffering wracking coughs and shortness of breath. Eventually she had to be moved back to the States where she received treatment for two more years. When she got home, it had taken her some time to readjust again, and Kaoru had been patient, waiting for her to be well once more before popping the question.

Looking at the bride and groom dancing on the floor before her, Haruhi knew it was well worth the wait. As other couples joined them, she noticed Yuzuru standing next to her. She glanced at him and gave a smile when he walked to a table nearby and stood next to the blonde woman seated there. He extended his hand in a courtly manner and asked her to dance.

They walked onto the dance floor, and the woman's ring sparkled as she put her hand on his shoulder. Haruhi loved that ring; she'd helped Yuzuru pick it out a few months ago. Now his wedding to Arianne would happen in December, and she couldn't wait. The woman who had helped her when she was imprisoned had asked Haruhi to be her matron of honor, and Yuzuru requested that Tamaki be the best man. The two who had loved each other more than 20 years now would get the chance to finally, finally be man and wife.

Listening to the music, Haruhi hummed the familiar song and looked around at the rest of those at the table. Hunny and Reiko had left their baby, a son, in the care of his brother, who had turned out to be a wonderful help with the newborn. Renge was rubbing her swollen belly as Kyouya murmured in her ear; they were expecting their first child and hoping it would be a girl. She caught sight of Hikaru, standing near his brother and sister-in-law, and looked around for his girlfriend. The woman was someone he'd met in college, and he was very pleased to be dating her. They were an adorable couple, and Haruhi knew they'd be engaged sometime soon.

The only one left of their little group who wasn't dating anyone was Mori, but he seemed quite content with the family he'd made of the host club. And with Reiko's prodding, he was constantly on a steady stream of dates with girls she introduced him to. Knowing Reiko's persistence, the gentle giant would soon find someone he could love. Haruhi prayed it would be so.

"May I have this dance?" Tamaki's voice startled her out of her musings, and she grinned at him, extending her hand to him.

They walked out to the dance floor and sank into a waltz, their favorite dance. She embraced him lovingly and pulled close when his arms tightened. Enjoying the secret she carried, she gave her still flat stomach a knowing look and sank into the dance with a lighthearted excitement to see what the years would bring.

After all, with love as their shibboleth, she and Tamaki could accomplish anything.

**-The End-**


End file.
